Our panel talks about questions asked by friends and strangers which may seem rude. Most often, the questioner does not intend any emotional harm. Usually, questions are asked out of ignorance, and most often just out of curiosity.
Being prepared to handle such questions before they happen is good advice. When potentially rude questions are asked in front of the child, it’s important, as a parent, to help your child work through hearing that. Our social worker suggests that talking with the child after the question is asked, helping your child understand that his/her reaction to the question is okay will be beneficial.
None of us can control what comes out of another person’s mouth. But we can control our responses and we can certainly help our children work through feelings after hearing it.