Episode#12: Blue vs Teal
It is that time of year again when kids are beginning to get excited about Halloween! But, before we get too carried away with the excitement of costumes and Trick-or-Treating, I would like to offer a word of caution.
Caution Ahead!
We love our children and are so proud of them that we often want to share that with the rest of the world so they too can see how wonderful they are! But, it is so important for us to remember to be careful with the kind of identifying information we provide to strangers!
This comes up every fall as everyone is sharing those adorable Back-to-School pictures of their children with their chalkboard signs. The information we share about our children publicly can unfortunately be used for nefearious purposes so it is important what information we choose to share.
Too Much Information
A child’s diagnosis is one such thing that can be identifying. Not only can it make a child appear as a vulnerable and easy target, but when we point out which children have a diagnosis, it unintentionally “otherizes” them.
I understand why parents may like the idea of the Blue Pumpkin because there are many adults in our world who do not do a good job of treating everyone they meet with acceptance and kindness.
But truthfully, a person shouldn’t have to say “I have a disability” in order to get an adult to treat them with the respect due another person. It should be up to us as adults to reach out and say “I will offer you acceptance and kindness” just like the Teal Pumpkin Project does for so many children who need non-food treats.
Listen to Podcast Episode #12 Here
Acceptance, Not Labels
So this year, let’s try to encourage adults in our communities to out themselves as people who will treat all children with acceptance and kindness, no matter what color pumpkin you choose to display on your porch! Who knows, maybe you will choose to display an entire rainbow of pumpkins on your porch!
But, I will tell you, I always know that my kids are going to be treated with kindness and respect when I see a house displaying a Teal Pumpkin because that means they went to the trouble of finding non-food treats because they really do care that all children feel included!
Because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!
Show Notes:
Go sign up for the Teal Pumpkin Project TODAY at tealpumpkinproject.org.
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