Well meaning but wrong
Scott Benner
Our children interact with people while they are at school and we as parents can’t control what they hear. Most days I think of those interactions as moments that enrich my kid’s lives. They get to hear points of view and thoughts from other people, other cultures and those interactions help to make them into who they are and will be.
This week however, I’m not so thrilled.
Arden had photos taken at school yesterday and someone (an adult) told her not to worry if her OmniPod was visible because, in Arden’s words, “it can be photoshopped out so the picture will be pretty.”. We are not pleased to hear that any overtones were made that indicate that Arden’s pod is in any way, something to be ashamed of. Whether purposeful or inadvertent comments like that can and will lead to Arden having an unhealthy view of her insulin pump and of herself.
We teach Arden that her pod is a normal part of her life, we don’t care if people see it, stare at it or ask about it. It is what it is and we will not hide, not for our comfort or for anyone else's.
Arden is “pretty” and would be even if that pod was sticking to her forehead. We addressed the comment with Arden and with the appropriate folks at the school and I’m confident that my message was heard. We hold no ill will to the adult and I personally see this incident as just another teachable moment in our life with type I. It is also a reminder of why good and clear communication between you and your child’s school is so important, this could have been a very uncomfortable moment but it wasn’t.
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Love you Ards!