Dude With Dwarfism Gets Petty Revenge on Patronizing Stranger, Starts Thread on How to Speak to Kids About Difference

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Nov 17, 2022 12:00 PM EST

Human beings come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, not everybody is as willing to accept that as others. It's a sad fact that those who have some kind of visible physical difference are pretty much guaranteed to face discrimination because of it, and some of the worst offenders can be parents of curious kids. This was underlined by u/windmillto recently, who complained that the fact he has dwarfism would often lead to moms and dads saying insulting things about him when kids questioned his appearance. After one particularly uncalled for comment, he decided to get his own back. Sharing this on r/pettyrevenge, it encouraged others to chime in with all the (not so) helpful ways in which they had approached people being different as parents or kids. Sometimes these things are simpler than we think, plus it's both easy and free to stop yourself from being an a-hole. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/pettyrevenge u/windmillto • 1d 7 13 100 1 1 Join 1 37 Don't use me to parent your kids. I have dwarfism, and this often leads to weird interactions in public, especially with kids. Sometimes a kid comes up to me to ask me why I'm so short, and I have a pre-prepared response for that, but most of the time they just loudly ask their parents why I'm so short. Usually the parents will awkwardly drag their kids away, telling them not to comment on people in public, which is sad but understan
    via windmillto
  • 02
    Font - What I can't stand is when people try to use me to parent their kids. I'm sure you can think of ways to convince your kids to finish their plate at dinner that don't involve pointing at a dwarf in public and saying "that's what happens when you leave food on your plate" or "he didn't listen to his mommy when she told him to eat all his vegetables". It's rude, it's humiliating, and it teaches your kid that differences are a bad thing and that people are at fault for their differences or di
    via windmillto
  • 03
    Font - A few days ago I was in public and a kid who was maybe 4 or 5 years old was acting out, and his mom was clearly struggling to keep him under control. So she pointed to me and told her son that I was one of Santa's elves, and I was watching him and would tell Santa about his behavior. The kid's name was on a key ring on his backpack so I just said "it's ok Hunter, you're already on the nice list, and Santa told me you're getting an iPad this Christmas." Hunter was excited. His mom was not.
    via windmillto
  • 04
    Font - CJsopinion • 1d My son asked why a man was so short. All I thought to say was because he wasn't tall. My son accepted that with no questions. Sometimes simplicity is all you need.
    via CJsopinion
  • 05
    Font - RepublicOfLizard +2.1d When I was 7 my mom and I watched a documentary on dwarfism together. A week or so later we were out and about and happened to see someone with dwarfism. Of course me in all my seven year old tact yelled out "they have hypochondroplasia type! We just learned about that mom!" She looked mortified, the dude gave a hearty chuckle and complimented me on knowing, then went on his merry way. Sometimes I look back and kick myself for it. I really hope I didn't upset the du
    via RepublicofLizard
  • 06
    Font - Groovy YaYa That is AWESOME. 1d My cousin was definitely of the "hey, people come in all shapes and sizes!" with her son. But she could NOT get his 3 or 4 year old self to stop staring at a guy in a wheelchair when they were standing on a sidewalk (I think waiting for a parade or something). He started to ask questions and my cousin shushed him - and the man said that it was ok, at his age, questions were natural and understandable. (He was missing a leg) Well - to both their surprise, he
    via GroovyYaYa
  • 07
    Organism - BeneYVR 1d Thank you for the parenting advice, taking this on board: I like the parents who just say something about how some people are born like this, and even though we look a bit different we're still regular people just like everyone else. I hadn't thought of how to explain this to my daughter yet but putting this in my mental safe to use should the situation come up. Your quick wit was epic in response to Hunter's mom. Sorry to hear about the derogatory and insulting things peop
    via BeneYVR
  • 08
    Font - FMLitsSML 1d The innocence of youth! Many years ago I was with a few friends going shopping. A mother with her kid walked by, the kid in a pushchair. As happens, the kid had a toy and dropped it by us. I picked it up and ran up to the mum to return it. The kids emotions made my fiery personality look like I was meditating. Within the ten seconds it took for me to notice, pick up the toy and run after them, he'd noticed his toy was missing and ended up screaming and crying. As I said to hi
    via FMLitsSML
  • 09
    Font - plausiblydead 1d 2 Awards I have done my best when it comes to teaching my children that we humans are as different as we are many. I have never been shy when my children have asked me questions like "why are they in a wheelchair? Why does he talk so different?" Or whatever else it could be; and I have answered honestly every time. I have even, when I assume the situation to have room for it, said to my children that "I don't know, lets go and ask them." And then used the oppertunity to t
    via plausiblydead
  • 10
    Font - I should probably mention that they were dressed in stereotypical goth clothing. This one girl more than the others, pierced all over and sporting a mohawk. I could see on their faces what they though. "Great one of those parents telling their kids not to stare in the hopes that we seize to exist." Well, I'm not one of those parents. I looked at my children and said "lets go, tell them!" So we walked over to them and told them what we thought of their looks. I've never seen a goth glow so
    via plausiblydead
  • 11
    Font - Fyxsune 1d My kid has a genetic disorder that affects his height and we like to say "It takes all sizes of trees to make a forest". And then my kid always responds "yeah, and if you're ever in a forest where all the trees look the same get out of there fast, that's a weird creepy forest". Love that kid so much.
    via Fyxsune

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kids awkward moments disability petty revenge conversation reddit thread mom rude dwarfism
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