Building houses out of bread...

I like kids.
Truth is, I probably like kids better than adults - because kids just are.  They don't care what they say, what they do, how they dress.  They just go about life & do what they want until they're scolded for being inappropriate.

Darn good thing I'm a little person in an adult's body, or I'd be scolded all the time.

A few years back, my husband and I were invited to his buddy's baby's first birthday party.  I knew his buddy, but not his wife or anyone else at the party.  No big deal.  I'm social.  I'd talk to a rock if it talked back to me.  I bring my own fun.

At this party, there was a little boy sitting at our table.  He wasn't sitting with the other kids.  He was with his parents.  This little boy had autism.  His behaviors were "odd" and he wasn't great in social situations.  This was his cousin's party and he needed to be here.  I could see the strain in his parent's faces as he acted out.

It wasn't his fault.

I saw other people looking at the boy.  Looking at the parents wondering who was going to control this boy.  Control?

It wasn't his fault.

I like kids.  Kids get me and I get them.  Especially kids with special needs.  I saw this little boy sitting in the corner of the room and I asked him if he wanted to play.  His parents were at the table with us as well and they knew my husband - no one thought anything of it.  That was, until I got on this little boy's level.  Then people started to wonder about me.

Personally, I don't give a crap.  Like I said - I like kids.  This little boy was at a kiddie birthday party.  The other kids were having fun, he should have fun too!  So I sat down on the floor with him.  I asked him what he wanted to do.  Did he want to build?  Did he want to color?  He wanted to build - and he wanted to build where no one could see him.

No problem...  Let's go play under the table.

Yes - I sat under the table in my pretty clothes with this little boy and we built houses out of the bread that was on the table.  We built houses and cars and made a zoo and animals.  Whatever this kid wanted to build, we built.

Was it appropriate?  Meh, probably not - but the boy's parents got to enjoy a birthday party as adults.  The little boy got to enjoy a kiddie party and I ... Well, I sat under the table on the floor, in my pretty pretty dress and built bread houses with my new friend.

It wasn't his fault that he didn't know how to play like the rest of the kids.  He needed someone to play with him on his level.

After the party, everyone thanked me for taking care of this little boy.  I didn't need to be thanked. 

It was the most fun I ever had at a kiddie party... EVER.

Sometimes we just need to get over ourselves and stop judging what we don't understand and get down to a level that you do understand.  Maybe even have some fun.

...and build houses out of bread.

Thank you for reading my blog!

~Jenn



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