Should have known better?!?!

The other day I recalled an incident from when I was 11, nearly 12 years old and it seemed to fit for this blog..... The incident is as follows:

I was talking with my best friend on the phone, making plans to get together that day. I put the phone down to ask my mom if she could come over and when I came back, the line was dead. I called her back and asked her what had happened. My friend said an operator came on the line and told her "Emergency call from "Jane" (my sister) will you please get off the line?' (Something like that). I basically thought, "that's weird. It must have been taken care of," and kept on talking.

When it was discovered a few minutes later that I had disregarded an emergency call (my niece needed stitches) I was severely scolded along the lines of "old enough to know better." When I realized what I had done, I felt awful. I hadn't meant to do anything wrong. Simply put, I just hadn't "connected the dots." An emergency call was completely new information to me and my brain didn't process it in a way that sent the message, "This is important. You should tell an adult about this."

As I now work with children, those with and without disabilities, I am reminded to be more compassionate, to see things from their perspective. I am particularly reminded to rethink expectations- not based solely on what they "should" or "should not" be doing but "how are they doing right now?" I try to deal with each child/situation as it comes because no two are alike!

Something to think about and remember.