Did I ever tell my sons that they needed to defend their sister? Not in so many words, but I guess their just loyal brothers. While it is apparently all right for them to antagonize their sister until she cries, they won’t allow others to do the same.

In April, we sent three of the teenagers to a boating safety class. Honestly, I didn’t think Lyn would pass the class, but I figured she would receive some benefit from attending it.

The sheriff’s department apparently doesn’t believe in letting anyone fail. One of the instructors ended up reading the test to her and giving her hints to help her pass it, after she failed it on her own.

They had asked prior to administering the test if anyone needed help, but of course, she didn’t raise her hand. This choice, added an additional two hours to the boating safety class for everyone there. To which, Lyn was oblivious, but others were a little upset, since it was a sunny Saturday afternoon.

One of the students looked at Lane and said, “Is your sister retarded?”
“No, you are!” came his retort.

Kids can be just plain mean to each other. You start to see it when they get to be in third or fourth grade. Some kids possess qualities that make them more of a target for rude comments and teasing than other kids do. A kid just has to be shorter, taller, fatter, skinner, smarter, dumber, uglier, or prettier than everyone else to be the receiver of criticism.

We sent the same group of three kids off to summer camp a couple of weeks ago. On the long bus ride home, six hours, some of the kids made remarks about whom they had met during the week.

One boy was talking about a girl who had performed a song in Sign Language during the talent show. “Dude, it was ridiculous. She was waving her arms around like this, (he demonstrated) and she went on and on for like ten minutes.”

Lane said that he looked at him and said, “Um, that’s my sister you’re talking about.”

“Are you serious?” he inquired, “I’m sorry.”

Another conversation on the way home took place between a girl, Buck and Lane.
She was talking about a girl named Linnea that she had met and apparently liked during the week. Lane decided to clarify about whom she was talking.

He questioned, “Do you mean Lyn?”

Her response, “No, there was Linneaaahhh, and then there was Lyn, the dork.”
Lane and Buck together spouted, “Lyn is our sister.”
To which the girl responded, “I am so sorry…It must be terrible for you guys to have to live with her all the time.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad my children have been exposed to a wide range of people with special needs from all income levels, and don’t condemn an individual just for having a low IQ.

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Photo-Clip Art-Microsoft 2003 edition