
As a teenager, I was always self-conscious about my unusually hairy arms. To make matters worse, one day when I was babysitting, a little girl asked me, “Why are your arms so hairy?”
The question took me off guard at first. Most people my age knew better than to point out such differences. But this child simply wanted to know, “Why are you different?”
I tried to explain to her that my mom had hairy arms, her mom did too, and so forth. I’m not sure the answer satisfied her, but she didn’t ask again.
Children in particular can have a hard time understanding why some people are different from them. This is even more evident when those differences are physical. If someone looks or talks differently, your child may want to understand why.
In honor of Trisomy Awareness Month, we want to help you and your children understand some of the differences about those with Down syndrome, the most commonly known trisomy condition, Trisomy 21.
Then when your kids want to know, “Why are they so different?” you can help them understand that people with Down syndrome aren’t really that different after all.
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