Using a t-shirt to stop the staring

Last week's dance class was rough. There were two hip hop classmates who wouldn't stop staring at Jordan and she didn't feel up to confronting the kids. I got a bit saucy about staring on this blog... And it opened up some great conversations. But while us grown ups work on refining how we raise our kids to learn and grow around differences, Jordan has to navigate reality. So this week... She did something a little different for dance class.She made her point about ending the stares with the help of a t-shirt. Don't Stare, Just Ask.Pretty cool, eh? When I first gave her the shirt, Jordan felt a little embarrassed. Maybe the shirt is too much to the point. But after she put it on and I added a few ribbons to keep the sleeves up, she felt a bit more confident to make her point. Seriously, don't stare, just ask!During this week's dance class, Jordan tells me she felt like no one was staring. Unfortunately, the shirt didn't help with questions. No one asked. But she certainly felt a little more empowered. Jordan also told me she felt a little strange about being so open about how she feels when people see her limb difference.That said, I sat down with her right before bed and I asked her how she really felt after trying out a "Don't Stare, Just Ask" shirt. Her biggest feeling... She's very happy. (And she proceeded to sing Happy.)