Talking To Children About Amputees And Disabilities

[FCCProvider]

There are athletes here at our base training for the paralympics in London. We are going to walk to the track where they are practicing and watch them tomorrow. My question is, do any of you have an online resource for talking to them about disabilities? I have a couple of books with children in wheelchairs, but none about limb loss. One of my daycare parents said her daughter saw one of the athletes at the store and asked why she had robot legs.

[NiNi.R.]

My father-in-law just recently had his leg amputated above the knee. My 4 year old daughter was completely devastated at first. I didn't really read any books on it. I showed her pictures and explained to her what was going to happen. Very matter of fact with her and answered all her questions as best I could. I also took the time to tell her some people are born that way or some have accidents. Some have 2 legs and they just don't work and some just have no legs at all.

She also called the prosthetic a robot leg.

He is just now getting fitted for his first prosthetic. I explained to my daughter that papa had to practice with a pirate peg leg before he could get a cool robot one. She thought that was pretty funny! She also thought it would be cool if he could get a robot leg that could light up with every step just like light up shoes.

She handles it well now. Always hops on one foot in front of him to "make him feel better". She a lot of times defines memories between when papa had 2 legs or when papa has 1 leg.

[SilverSabre25]

"Some people have bodies that work differently, or have bodies that look different and it's okay. Most people's bodies don't have that happen. It's not nice to point or talk really loudly, but if you have a question you can whisper it quietly to me or save it for when we're in private."

[itlw8]

You have one of the best resourses. See if one of the athletes will talk with the children. Go watch them practice and point out how much they can do.

Our neighbor is missing a leg . One day my phone was off the hook and it was important. So dh called her. She rushed to our house without putting on her. leg. The kids were very interested... Halloween she had it on and DGD was even more interested.

[FCCProvider]

Thank you everyone. I really liked the idea of having them whisper their question in your ear. When we spoke about it this morning, I asked my children to do that, and they did very well. I think they thought it was more of a game. They would run back and forth and say he has 2 special legs, and he only has one special leg.