I stumbled upon @thequeermama's post on Instagram "Answers I've given my kids recently, as a parent who never says 'I'll tell you when you're older" and thought her response to her child seeing a little person was excellent!
"Yes, that person was an adult, and they're your height - some people are born like that, it would be boring if we all looked the same"
As a little person in public, I've had countless interactions with children and their parents in response to my disability. Some parents ask if their children can come up and meet me, others yank them away to avoid an embarrassing interaction. Regardless of your level of knowledge on dwarfism, I believe it is every parent's job to teach their children to be respectful in public; to know that people come in all shapes and sizes, and that every human being is deserving of kindness and respect.
If your child is old enough to mock and belittle someone, they are old enough to be taught to know better.
As a parent, it is up to you to lead by example - take every opportunity to show your children how to treat others with kindness. This means unlearning your own ableism!
Everything is a teachable moment - if your child is making a scene, I like to see that you the parent do not accept the behaviour. Stop everything and talk to your child!! Deescalate!!
Depending on the little person (and the circumstance) they may be willing to educate your child in the moment, but open with a "could my child ask you some questions?" or "may I ask you about your disability?" and respect their response.
I understand the panic that can come with your child's negative response, but please understand that yanking away your child can make disability feel taboo and can even make them fearful of me.
Please prepare your children for seeing and interacting with all sorts of people - these days here are plenty of children's media on diversity!
