Someone once asked me ” What problem does your child have ? I said ” He has some allergies, why, in regards to what context are you asking me ? ” Her eyebrows pulled down on either side , She asked ” Is that why you run Edooism, your son must be having ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia ?” I was concerned about her, she looked quite worried for me. I made her feel comfortable by saying ” I started Edooism as the world has special needs. 😐 Would you like to volunteer at Edooism ? ”
I smiled and was extremely amused at the assumption but I didn’t want to embarrass her or blatantly assume that she had made an assumption about my reasons for this initiative where I encourage sharing ! Somewhere I blamed myself for leading her on. But I wanted her to think some more and figure out things herself 🙂
I came home and told my son this and he raised his eyebrows and said ” That’s bizarre, so if I worked for Child’s rights as an adult, would it mean I am a child ;-)) ? This is his sense of humor 🥳😉
I didn’t want to say my son doesn’t have special needs. I genuinely feel we all do. Yet the labels she assumed he had, I didn’t feel like correcting her in a defensive manner. I said truthfully that ” He just has allergies ” I believe we all have a little bit of every label or scientific name within us.
Some people’s special needs are highlighted and some people’s are not. It depends on the parenting & education style. You can see the strengths in your child and acknowledge the weaknesses too. You can share them and help someone else and you can accept help from someone else too. The permanent won’t change and the impermanence will change anyway. So how does it matter what someone thinks ?
Have I confused you ? My son has severe allergies and he carries the Epipen just in case of an emergency. That is not the reason I started Edooism. At my art classes I noticed children are extremely bored, stressed out at schools, competitive and very one track minded. Their creativity was limited to copying someone else’s way for writing, sketching, singing, dancing.
Each child’s identity was what I encouraged in my class. Schools ignorantly wanted a class full of clones. They wanted a classroom full of kids who had no opinions or ideas. Ideas were not allowed to be shared. Is this easier to understand ? I encourage individuality in my art class with teamwork happening along the way.
I realized that even parent identities were getting crushed because of the schooling system. Every parent would say ” how can we say this to the authority and how can we ask this and ask that. It’s ok our children must adjust”
I said “ no I am running Edooism because the entire world has special needs”
If I worked for the rights of the LGBTQ community , you would think I am Gay? ( u might) ( and I do work for their rights in a mild way too)
If I work for the underprivileged or the physically challenged , our family suffers the same ?? Come on now ! If you think this way, change your thinking by working for the world.
Those who have no big worries shouldn’t feel complacent and should instead work for the world.
It’s about inclusion for all, without prejudice and assumptions. It’s about not labelling someone’s internal setbacks for life and pushing them to a corner. I am writing this letter to you to realize that assumptions can create more of a setback for those who’s kids have severe special needs. They don’t want to answer your inquisitive and concerned questions , they want you to make friends with them. They want you to make place for them in your life. Just substitute the assuming time with ” making friends time”.
I enjoy penning or typing my thoughts to clear peoples thoughts. I don’t like to pull up people in a crowd for what they say. It takes me time to even wonder about their trail of thought and I don’t want to insult them as they are probably lacking awareness that’s all. Simple. If I am not compassionate about people’s advice, thoughts and insults, what right do I have to run Edooism ? 🤗
Sometimes tiny difficulties get blown out of proportion and big issues are mocked at.
Its dangerous to assume things about people, without full knowledge or the right way of questioning. Why question someone’s personal life at all ? Why not instead ask how you can be a part of an organisation that is only trying to spread its wings now 🙂
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