Hand me a shovel someone..
I need to dig a really deep deep deep hole. For myself.
Whenever No.1’s classes ends, No.1 and No.2 will have a big race to the car. But, because we have to cross a road, they’d do a skidding stop there. Panting..and waiting for slowpokey mama and her stroller baby.
Well, a few days ago, it was just like normal, but as I approached, No.2 started pointing and shouted outloud to me (yes..they always think I’m deaf), "Why is that boy’s face like that?? Mu-um, why is that boy’s nose like that?"
WHAM! Before I even looked at that boy, I knew who No.2 was talking about.
DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! I was screaming in my head.
Y’see, this lil boy has some form of genetical disease, not quite Down Syndrome, and to be honest, I’m not quite sure what it is. His face is slightly deformed in such a way that his nose and eyes doesn’t look like the average kid. He’s also slightly blind and walks with a cane.
No.1’s school is a school that accepts kids with special needs. I’ve seen kids with walking canes, hearing aids and one kid even has a whole bag of equipment (filled with tubes) that he brings everyday. I feel my kids are quite lucky in that sense, to be able to learn and experience about such uniqueness and diversity.
So… back to the story. I was completely horrified.
I quickly told No.2, "Hey! Don’t point like that ~ it’s rude. He’s just a lil boy, y’know. Just like you".
I saw the mom and she looked at me as if to say, "Your kid is so damn rude! How dare he say such things?"
Ok..I was just imagining she was saying that..who knows what was going through her mind.
So, I quickly said, "I’m so so sorry".
As I said that, I realised she could have interpreted it as, "I’m so sorry that your child looks like that", to which I quickly said again,
"I’m so so so sorry".
To which I realised, she could have interpreted it as, "I’m so sorry that your child was born this way".
Doing a mental shake in my head, I said one more time, "I’m so sorry!".
She just smiled and said, "It’s Ok".
I was not sure if she knew what I meant by "I’m so sorry". I just wanted her to know that I was sorry, No.2 had to be so damn rude! I felt so bad inside!!
Yes yes..he’s just 3 years old and he doesn’t understand a lot of things..and of course is very curious. In fact, he often stares at kids with special needs (when they go shopping) and wonders why they walk/talk like that. This bad slowpokey mama hasn’t been explaining to him much about them!
So..as we walked back to the car, I told him, "You can’t just point at people like that and shout y’know. It’s kinda rude. He’s just a little boy..and he has the same feelings like you".
To which, he replied, "So… if I can’t point like that (he gestures with his index finger)…can I point with my thumb??"
*slaps forehead*
I had earlier taught him how to point politely (and apparently, it’s a Malaysian thing..to point with our thumbs. Aussies here find it utterly hilarious..like we’re mentally handicapped or something!)..and this is the result of my teachings!







