How Should Parents Respond When Kids Ask About Disabilities?

if you are visibly disfigured or

disabled and a random three-year-old

loudly asks their parents about you what

would you prefer the parents to say I'm

not disfigured or disabled but I will

never ever forget something that

happened to me as the mom of a curious

young child we were in Target and the

cashier helping us had one eye several

facial differences one ear and a giant

blue and green Mohawk my three-year-old

of course loudly exclaimed Mama target

has a pirate while I tried to slowly

sink into the floor this amazing

gentleman kindly explained that he

wasn't actually a pirate but had an

illness that made him look that way he

warmly answered my child's many

questions does it hurt do you have a

pirate ship where is your parrot does it

make you see funny with only one eye I

tried to gently stop my son but the

cashier reassured me that it was okay he

loved kids and was happy to answer their

questions as we walked away my son

loudly declared that was the nicest

pirate ever and you're not allowed to

come to Target without me anymore

because I want to say hi to nie Mr

pirate man this is the only time in my

life I've ever asked to speak to a

manager I told her how embarrassed I had

been and how absolutely wonderful her

employee was I sincerely apologized if

he had felt awkward or uncomfortable we

said hello to niece Mr Pirate Man many

times over the next few years until he

sadly passed away from complications

related to his illness I hope he felt as

good about those moments as we did he

was truly a kind and remarkable person