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[quote=Anonymous]I didn't realize quite what she was doing at the time, but my mom went out of her way to set up play dates with the new kids or the "different" kids (e.g. the first black girl in my class, the first Spanish speaker, the boy who was probably autistic but not diagnosed, the girl who lived at the homeless shelter). My school was pretty homogenous, so these kids stuck out. We talked all the time at the dinner table about empathy and caring, not in an over the top way, but through stories and examples from my parents lives. She also gave me a lot of books about different kids, like "Karen" about the girl with cerebral palsy.

To be honest, I didn't always want to play with those kids and sometimes complained to my mom for meddling, but at every playdate I found some level where we could relate or some common connection. And though it probably prevented me from sitting at the coolest kids table, I stayed nice to them all because I understood them as people, not the stereotypes.

I was not a-list or prom queen by any means, but I ended up with a lot of friendships and was voted "nicest" in high school yearbook. I think that made my mom prouder then my national merit scholarship! It definitely was due to her coaching and prodding, even when I didn't want it.

I should ask her why she did that, and give her a big thanks.[/quote]

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