It Is Okay to Talk

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It is okay to talk about people nearby as if they are not even there No, it is not, not even if they are kids.. You know how it is, someone walks past, and this thought leaps to your brain, and it comes out of your mouth.. It may be something complimentary, or random, or even rude, but it needs to stay inside your head. Childhood is where we begin to teach that it is okay to objectify someone. We talk about kids, not to them. If you want to say something nice, and not hurtful, say it too the child/person. My example is of two teachers talking in the hall while waiting on students to come out of the restroom. One little girl comes out and scoots across the hall and a teacher comments "Wow, look how tan she still is". Nothing wrong with that statement on the surface, but it would have been better not to talk about the child. The teacher, who does not know "Suzy" very well, could have said,"Suzy, I love your tan, does it mean you play outside a lot?" or better yet, the teacher, whom Suzy does not know, could have kept her observation to herself. Having a teacher comment on her appearance makes Suzy self conscious, but it also tells her it is okay for people to comment about her randomly and look at her and judge her. This teacher would never say that about a teacher walking down the hall. Respect is the name of the game.