…asked my 4 year old cousin when she saw me the morning after she’d saw that part of my leg was missing.

Her shock was adorable.

And, I have to admit, I’d had a similar thought some days. Like when I woke up in the middle of the night to got to the bathroom and went to take a step with a foot that wasn’t there. “Wait – what? Oh, right…”

I typically appreciate little kids’ reactions. This one kid in the grocery store asked his mom “is she a robot?”

Lol. I wish. Maybe…

Curiosity is normal, and I’d rather have questions than staring.

Unless you get too too nosey, and then who knows what I might say…

Though if you act surprised that it didn’t grow back and you are older than 4…um…

And I get it – not everyone is comfortable asking questions, so here’s some great info on talking to your kids (or anyone, really) about disabilities, including limb loss:

• General Tips: https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-disabilities-4142349
• Being inclusive: https://www.verywellfamily.com/teach-inclusivity-to-prevent-bullying-4065060
• Using Respectful Disability Language: https://www.aucd.org/docs/add/sa_summits/Language%20Doc.pdf
• Teaching Activities: https://adayinourshoes.com/resources-to-teach-kids-about-disabilities-awareness-and-inclusion/
• Short, simple video on inclusion by UNICEF: https://youtu.be/nlzMD1Kj6kE
• Short video about Rio, who’s 10 years old and has a prosthetic leg: https://youtu.be/lFv3ic9qQBs
• Books about limb loss: https://www.amputee-coalition.org/resources/understand-limb-loss/