Yesterday we had a couple kids over for play dates. Jacob's friend had never been to our house and all our kids were home. I always feel a little sorry for anyone who hasn't been fully warned about our family before entering our abode. It's a lot to take in and not be freaked out. When you live it every day, you just forget how it must look coming from "normal", whatever that means.
I asked Ella what she tells her friends before they come over. She said, "I tell them some of the kids have disabilities and if they say something you don't understand, just ask me and I'll interpret." I'm not sure Jacob is yet aware that his friends might not have experience with special needs kids and so aren't necessarily being "warned".
Jacob's friend asked a few questions which we answered as succinctly as possible. It's kind of like if a little kid asks you say how hamburgers are made and you tell them about raising cows. Too much info. is just too much info. My theory is to just answer the question that was asked and no more. Every kid that walks into my house doesn't need to know the gory details of what happened to each of my kids to create the intricately made people that they are.
Someday when they're older and if the friends have been around for quite some time, then perhaps a discussion about where they've come from will be warranted, but for now my motto is - keep it simple silly.
That's all the info they want anyhow. If they want more info they'll ask.
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