Blind People Make Good Parents, Too!

 

To all parents, former parents, wanna be parents and former children. 

 

It does take more time, planning and yes, even more worry for a blind parent to bring those little Urchins to the edge of the nest for their first solo flight.  But actually sighted people are too often lulled into complacency by their wonderful eyesight.  They rely on sight to replace hands-on raising.  Think of the mom, talking on her cell phone.  "Jimmy!" she shrieks, "Put that knife down and get away from your baby sister!"  She's counting on her quick vision to monitor the activities of her out of control little darling.  Whereas a blind mom would have put all knives away.  She might actually be playing with little Jimmy and baby sister instead of yakking on the phone.  The blind mom knows that she must stay involved with her children if she is to know what they are doing, and to guide their play and direct them safely through their day. 

The same is true for blind Dads.  From time to time a newly blind young father would attend our training center.  "I just can't be a dad to my son", they would tell me.  Funny that they never worried about being a dad to their daughters.  "Why can't you be a dad to your son," I would ask, playing the straight man in this comic routine. 

"Well, it's pretty obvious.  I can't toss the ball around or take him to the auto races or go camping and fishing".  "Well, first of all", I would tell them, "I'm a dad.  And I've been a single dad, raising three children.  And as a totally blind dad, I played all sorts of games with my children, two girls and one boy.  We do go camping.  We do play rough and tumble games.  Okay, so I don't toss the ball around, being opposed to getting socked in the noggin when it comes back, but we play all sorts of games.  Like we go swimming together, hike, camp, clean our rooms together, mow the lawn together, watch TV and discuss what we see together.  We are a family and I am the Leader of the Pack.  Why is tossing the ball around so darn important that you can't figure out what a dad really does?" 

Of course by this time they are so overwhelmed by my lengthy tirade that they have either fallen asleep and dropped to the floor or they are on their knees begging for me to just shoot them. 

 

Curious Carl

 

  

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