28 replies to this topic

[mikeC5/6]

I was just wondering what you guys tell kids when they ask why you are in your wheelchair. I mean like 5 and under... Recently I told my girlfriends nephew that I was just in it for the parking but thats because we were in a room full of adults who got a laugh out of it. He didnt ask again so it all worked out.. I was thinking my legs are hurt would be a good answer,... what do you guys think/say?

[KarenFerguson]

I always kind of dread this question because my answer "real" is sooo confusing for the little tikes (born 3.5 months prematurely with bleeding in my spine ... blah blah blab).

Not too long ago a little girl asked me and I said I had an accident (not true, but I was kind of in a hurry and didn't want to get bogged down with tons of questions), alas this was not a concise answer. She then asked 'what kind of accident', and then answered her own question by saying 'car accident'? I kind of laughed to myself and said 'sure why not'. I think that made her happy because she had kind of figured it out on her own and skipped away.

Perhaps I could say I 'hurt my spine' - but I don't know if little kids (like you said under 5) would totally comprehend that as well.

[longhaul]

Most little kids know what it's like when their arm or leg "goes to sleep" I tell them it's like that only mine doesn't get better. I always tell them the truth they're smarter that we think.

[Ches]

Under 5.. I ususally just tell them my legs are broke. As in "don't work". Kids are smart like Longhaul said.. you dont always need to sugar coat things, but an SCI is a bit difficult to explain. So yeah, I just say They are broke, dont work.

[fatdave]

i told my 3 year old "dads legs dont work, they are broken" it works, and he seems to get the idea

[Kwag_Myers]

My daughter told my granddaughter that grampa's legs got a really bad boo-boo. That's all the two-year-old needed.

[Kev-O]

I just tell the Little bastards i didn't wear my seat belt an got into a accident. who knows that might scare the little turds into wearing one when they get in the car

[StellaLAtella]

Oh Kev-O, you have a love of the little darlings.......much like myself! I think it depends on how old they are and how they ask. If they are rude, I tell them to get back, I BITE!
~Stella

[Texaswheelz]

I just tell the little bastards that I DID wear my seatbelt and got into a accident....

Really I just tell em that I had a car wreck and broke my the bone in my back that makes your legs work. The worse with kids are the mean little turds that wanna know if they'll hurt you if they kick ya and then proceed to kick you to find out.

[Jaret]

I have a SCI and teach young children. I always explain to them that your brain tells your body what to do and because my back is hurt those messages don't get there. They are pretty good with that but when my legs spasm in class, they get a little freaked out.

[E-DOG]

Nosey little shits. I tell 'em to go away or they'll end up in the trunk of my car on the way to the desert.
If that doesn't shut 'em up then I open my legbag n ply squirt-gun with 'em.
E-dog

[mulepower]

Bad men hurt me.Then their parents apologize and i say its ok.

[kate42]

I just say that my legs don't work anymore; that usually satisfies them.

[StellaLAtella]

E-DOG, on Aug 26 2008, 06:44 PM, said:

Nosey little shits. I tell 'em to go away or they'll end up in the trunk of my car on the way to the desert.
If that doesn't shut 'em up then I open my legbag n ply squirt-gun with 'em.
E-dog

TOO FUNNY!!!!!! In the desert no less!

[longhaul]

E-DOG, on Aug 26 2008, 03:44 PM, said:

Nosey little shits. I tell 'em to go away or they'll end up in the trunk of my car on the way to the desert.
If that doesn't shut 'em up then I open my legbag n ply squirt-gun with 'em.
E-dog

You forgot the part about using them for fish bait and if they keep bugging you they get a tour of the sewer plant via the toilet.

[Kwag_Myers]

E-DOG, on Aug 26 2008, 06:44 PM, said:

Nosey little shits. I tell 'em to go away or they'll end up in the trunk of my car on the way to the desert.
If that doesn't shut 'em up then I open my legbag n ply squirt-gun with 'em.
E-dog

Reminds me of a guy that used to be on the TV show, "Junk Yard Wars". He said, "I love the little kiddy-winkers. But I don't think I could eat a whole one."

[E-DOG]

They say, "Children should be seen and not heard"

Why on earth do they need to be seen?
E

I have a tee shirt that says:
TELL YOUR KIDS TO SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE f*@k UP!

[pinkangel]

i hate this question aswell..had the same thing when i lost my hair though alopecia - tho must admit adults where worse on that!, with children so young it is hard , i do say my leg & arm dont work - whichever one they ask about

[Kwag_Myers]

E-DOG, on Aug 28 2008, 01:54 AM, said:

They say, "Children should be seen and not heard"

Why on earth do they need to be seen?
E

I have a tee shirt that says:
TELL YOUR KIDS TO SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE f*@k UP!

Golly Mr. Wilson, you don't really mean that do you?

[StellaLAtella]

E-DOG, on Aug 28 2008, 01:54 AM, said:

They say, "Children should be seen and not heard"

Why on earth do they need to be seen?
E

I have a tee shirt that says:
TELL YOUR KIDS TO SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE f*@k UP!

My mother always reminded me that I was once a kid. And I always reminded her that I was a well behaved kid! (Although, I'm sure I was a difficult little bitch too)

E-Dog, can I borrow that shirt when I go to dinner? Maybe I wouldn't have to work so hard giving the evil eye!
~Stella

[Travelling Blackbird]

I go out to the International School to make a presentation each year to the 4th grade when they're doing their unit on disabilities, so I had to come up with a good answer. At the presentation, I say that I was in an accident and hurt my head, and it makes it too difficult to walk, and if they press for details of the accident, I say that someone pushed me, which is as much truth as can be given to 4th graders. However, that's in the context of the kids learning about disabilities, so it's a little easier than when the question is just sprung on me.

I'll use the same answer if the kid of someone I know asks, but if it's a very young kid, I'll just say that my legs are sick. If it's a strange kid, I usually just let the parents deal with it - they're usually very apologetic to me and then they make the explanation that my legs are sick. Sorted.

[eujei]

Kev-O, on Aug 26 2008, 04:46 PM, said:

I just tell the Little bastards i didn't wear my seat belt an got into a accident. who knows that might scare the little turds into wearing one when they get in the car

I say something like this to the drunk guys that keep bugging me when Im in a club. I tell then I DUI and i was in a car accident. even though im dive accident quad! lol

[wheeliebear75]

Work your way up on the explanation scale:
Why are you in a wheelchair? My legs don't work
Why? My back was broken so now my legs don't work.

The others are right about kids being smarter than we think. My son was telling people why I couldn't walk when HE was 4.

[bantughost]

Texaswheelz, on Aug 26 2008, 09:22 PM, said:

I just tell the little bastards that I DID wear my seatbelt and got into a accident....

Really I just tell em that I had a car wreck and broke my the bone in my back that makes your legs work. The worse with kids are the mean little turds that wanna know if they'll hurt you if they kick ya and then proceed to kick you to find out.

Never had one of those LOL. But I love kids. I used the “they [my legs] are dead and don’t work anymore� line with my baby cousin a few years back [he was 4 or 5 at the time] and the next thing I knew the litter bugger was poking my thigh with a fork.
“What the…!!?? Hey quit doing that!�
“I just want to see if they’re really dead!� he sulked.
I just say my legs are broken from then on, less risk of being physically assaulted that way. Plus kids really understand broken … they are always breaking things

[Manda]

My son just tells everyone I have a really big boo-boo (He's five)Most of his little friends are pretty good about it,One little girl said,Is'nt it boring???Hmmmmm yeahhhhhh!!!

[REASON2BLIEVE]

Manda, on Sep 17 2008, 05:49 PM, said:

My son just tells everyone I have a really big boo-boo (He's five)Most of his little friends are pretty good about it,One little girl said,Is'nt it boring???Hmmmmm yeahhhhhh!!!

Our daughter is 5 and in kindergarten so my husband gets alot of questions from the kids in her class. He is very independant and is very active in her class. He is honest with the kids and just tells them that he was hunting one night and fell out of a tree stand and hurt his back very bad and now his legs don't work but it's okay because his arms do so he can still do all his favorite things.

I have observed conversations between our daughter and her friends when they ask her why her daddy is in a wheelchair. For her, she doesn't know her daddy any other way. She was 6 months old when it happened. She just casually tells them that he fell deer hunting and his legs don't work but it's okay because he still plays with her and loves her. She doesn't see him any different than anyone else. And when he overcomes an obstacle that is hard for him, she proudly cheers him on and tells everyone about it.

If you have patience for children and their questions, honesty is best. They only ask because they are curious.

[Kwag_Myers]

I just returned from visiting my daughter's family. My granddaughter asked me why I was using a wheel chair when I can walk. I explained that my legs work, but not very well. Every time we went somewhere she was suddenly too tire to walk. So, grandpa had to give her a ride. Hey, it works for me.

[jdhoggg]

This doesn't have anything to do with kids asking, but the comment up there ^ about the DUI made me remember something. One time I was in a parking lot and was getting ready to go into the grocery store and I saw this woman open a beer up and take a swig of it in the next row of cars. I sat and watched her take a few more then got out of my truck and wheeled over to her and told her in the most serious voice I could muster that she didn't need to be drinking and driving because she could hurt someone else, not just herself. (Implying that I was hurt by a drunk driver.) She started crying and saying she was really sorry. I told her that she needed to give up alcohol before it was too late and asked for her beer. She handed it to me, all the while apologizing and crying. I wheeled right back to my truck, got in, and went home and drank her beer. WOHOO!!!

[Travelling Blackbird]

jdhoggg, on Sep 18 2008, 09:30 PM, said:

This doesn't have anything to do with kids asking, but the comment up there ^ about the DUI made me remember something. One time I was in a parking lot and was getting ready to go into the grocery store and I saw this woman open a beer up and take a swig of it in the next row of cars. I sat and watched her take a few more then got out of my truck and wheeled over to her and told her in the most serious voice I could muster that she didn't need to be drinking and driving because she could hurt someone else, not just herself. (Implying that I was hurt by a drunk driver.) She started crying and saying she was really sorry. I told her that she needed to give up alcohol before it was too late and asked for her beer. She handed it to me, all the while apologizing and crying. I wheeled right back to my truck, got in, and went home and drank her beer. WOHOO!!!

Ha! Good one.

I never saw as much driving under the influence as I did when I lived in the US. And I'm Irish! Hell, I lived in Poland too! But it was only in the US that I saw people on a daily basis get into cars after a couple of beers, or half a bottle of wine "because it's just a short drive home".