[blparent] How do you start to explain people's unfounded fears toyour children?

[Star Gazer]

That was my take too. He may not be as manageable as you'd think. 
Does the dad know you? If not and your kids are friends, I'd start there. 
Also, it's not as odd as you think given the mom's job. Very likely, she's never encountered an adult with whatever disability she works with, so all she sees, all she's capable of seeing are children who need more then the average bear. 

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judy Jones via blparent
Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2015 10:27 PM
To: Jo Elizabeth Pinto; Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] How do you start to explain people's unfounded fears toyour children?

Hi again from Judy.

Another aspect I thought about.  Is this little boy manageable in a public situation.  For instance, if you and your girl are at the park, will he be as obedient as she is, or is he one of those kids who is harder to manage because of lack of discipline?

Judy


-----Original Message-----
From: Jo Elizabeth Pinto via blparent
Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2015 6:14 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: [blparent] How do you start to explain people's unfounded fears toyour children?

My sighted daughter just turned seven years old a few weeks ago.  Hard to believe.  Anyway, we’re having one of the first really beautiful sunny spring days, so she asked me to take her to a nearby park.  She invited a neighbor boy her age to come.  His parents said no, there had to be an adult along.  She told his parents her mom would be taking them.  The dad said no, he meant an adult who could see.  She came home really confused, of course. 
She said we go to the park all the time, which we do.  So I tried to explain that some parents don’t feel that their kids will be safe supervised by a blind adult.  Her next natural question was why.  I told her some parents worry that their kids will get hurt if no one is watching them.  Her answer was that we’ve been to the park millions of times and she hasn’t gotten hurt.  Also true.  She’s a smart girl.  I told her some parents haven’t ben around blind people much.  The odd thing is, the neighbor boy’s mom is one of the higher-ups in the special ed department with the local school district.  So I’m just wondering, is there anything in particular you have said to your kids that has helped make sense of nonsense?

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
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