PERSONAL INVASION OF SPACE.....

I was saddened yesterday....first time since Blake started Kindergarten.

Blake, on the way home from school, told me that a boy reached over and pulled up Blake's t-shirt to make fun of him that he wore diapers to school. {Sometimes the diapers peek out above his jeans....we try so hard to hide them....but they are size 6....hello....hard to hide all the time, short of wearing overalls...but those went out in the late 90's!}

I flipped a U-turn in the car to head straight back to his classroom. I was furious...not that a child had teased him. That is going to happen. I was furious that a child had invaded his personal space by pulling up his t-shirt to expose what we were trying to keep a secret. It was like the kid reached over to me and yanked my heart right out of my chest.

I talked to the teacher, who by the way is being wonderful to Blake, and she said she would make a call to that child's father to explain what happened. We decided we would talk to his classroom next Tuesday and explain that Blake was just made a little different....and just like we don't make fun of people who have blond hair or black hair....or someone who wears glasses or uses a wheelchair....we don't make fun of people who wear diapers. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the kids accept it well. Most should. Once educated, children can be very caring and show concern.

I received a phone call from that father yesterday afternoon. He was embarrassed. Embarrassed that HIS child was the child to make fun of someone with a disability. He said he was sorry and ashamed. I thanked him for his apology and reminded him that kids will be kids and that when teasing occurs it is a great opportunity for us to teach our children compassion. I appreciated his phone call....I appreciated his embarrassment {I told him that I would be equally embarrassed and have been when my children have been the offenders without realizing it.} I appreciated that he said he would sit down and talk to his child about his actions that hurt another child's {and mother's} feelings.

I knew it was going to happen....I just didn't know it would hurt so bad.