[blparent] Question about parenting with blind children

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)]

Touch gently.
Also, everybody can help decorate a tree.

Kids are smart, they do figure this stuff out.
Also, how do you define playing with the tree?
My daughter made snowflakes and decorated the tree with them. It was awesome. And this was after Christmas, well after I thought the tree was done.
As for touching other stuff, all you need to is ask and teach the blind kid to ask. Whoever "owns" the object will either okay or not okay it. Adults are smart and do grasp that a blind kid can't look at something with their eyes.
I've also found that people who are passionate about something want to share it and want to leta person touch

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 1:56 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blparent] Question about parenting with blind children

Hello,

It's been a while, but have been so busy. Hope everyone is having a
wonderful holiday season.

So, while decorating the Christmas tree this year with Pen, everyone
kept saying, "Don't touch, just look with your eyes." This seems like
reasonable, sound advice, but then it hit me, a blind child can't look
with their eyes. I've only been blind as an adult so it never crossed my
mind that small things like this would be different with a blind child.

Since this epiphany struck (ha-ha) I've been aware of how often children
are told to not touch, just look. It happened frequently this season
with Pen again as we were shopping with my mom and sister. I know this
list is geared towards blind parents, nonetheless, I know many of you
were blind children, and I'm sure most of you have answers.

How do you allow a child who can't see to experience something like
decorating a tree in a tactile way, but at the same time, steer them to
an understanding that this isn't a toy to be touched and played with all
the time? I'm especially curious about young children who are blind.

Then, as usual, my thoughts went further to include that I think we can
stifle healthy curiosity in any child, blind or sighted, but limiting
what sense they use to experience life. I'm not suggesting we let kids
touch every little thing, but is it really that bad to allow a child to
"touch" say something like Christmas decorations even if they can see
them? Rhetorical question, but have any of you incorporated nonvisual
parenting into a, for lack of a better expression, more traditional
parenting style, A. K. A. sighted parenting. *I'm simply using these
terms to distinguish between things.

Anyway, perhaps I'm not being clear, but I'm just curious about this,
and it may be something I can use for my Live Well blog. I'd appreciate
any responses.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan


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