I have a seven year old little girl who has vitiligo, she has had itsince she was 2 so it is not new to us. However we recently moved to a new place. In her last school all her friends had known her for as long as they could remember and never even thought of her spots. In the new school kids are curious. Her teacher has asked that I come in with her tommorow and help her explain her vitiligo to her clas as part of her about me presentation. Does anyone have suggestions on how to explain this to 7 year olds??
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I hope this isn't reaching you too late! I have Vitiligo and I explained it to my second graders in my after school program. My kids never really pointed it out, but I took the opportunity to discuss my difference because one of my students was getting picked on for looking different. I explained that everyone on the planet looks different. If we looked like one another, life would be boring. I said that I had a problem with my body that made my skin turn white. I let them know there was absolutely no way they could catch it. I even encouraged them to come touch my white patches on my hands so they could get the curiosity out of the way. Let them know that she is not really "sick", and there is no real cure. Let them ask questions. I'm just letting you know that some kids will say things that sound mean or hurtful, but please remember they are in second grade and that this is a fantastic opportunity to educate them. Leave Michael Jackson out of the conversation because second graders think they know who he was but all it does is confuse them more. When I told them I had the same thing he did and that's why he went from black to white, one of my students said, "That's what happened to Eminem, except he went from white to black". She was totally serious :)
That being said, I want to say something about this teacher. Granted, I don't know her/him but I am also an elementary teacher and I feel like one of my number one priorities is to help my students understand the world. I think it's really inappropriate to ask you to come in and explain her spots. I would have said, "Google it. It's your job to educate, so do it". Okay, maybe not that harsh, but it would pass through my mind. However, you are not a second grade teacher so I would think that she would be the best person to explain it. It's that teachers job to help students understand that we are all different. I'd also want to know why my child is so much of a focus that she needs to be discussed to all the class. Clearly, this is a problem with redirecting class discussion. If there was a child in a wheelchair I doubt he/she would ask the parent to come in and explain why their child was in a wheelchair.
Please let us know how it goes. I hate to bash on this teacher but I take it very personally and I am very passionate about teaching children about understanding others. All the best!
Well I just got home from my daughters school, I believe it went really well. The kids were kind and I think that this will satisfy their curiosity about her spots and now it will just be about Riley the person not her spots. I am so proud of my daughter, it would take courage for an adult to stand up there and point out their spots and open themselves up to questions about it. My seven year old stood up there with me and let them know it was part of her and she liked herself just how she is, she is beautiful inside and out and I couldn't be prouder!!!!
That is so fantastic! You should be so proud. Seriously, I have a huge smile on my face!
Hi Amanda, I get where you are coming from. But I remember in my 3rd graders class, there was a girl with down's syndrome. Her mother also did something similar. She prepared a presentation for the rest of the kids to help them understand what made her daughter different.
I think in some situations, where the teacher does not know too much about the situation, she might reach out to the parents. I feel that she only has the child's interest at heart, particularly because she feels if the other children understand what makes her special, they wont pick on her and will accept her better. Just my two cents!