What to do
Last Saturday, Abuela, Star, and Link went to Chuck E. Cheese. They had pizza, played games, and were just having a really good day together. Abuela, of course, spoiled Link a little bit and made sure he had plenty of tokens to play with. ❤
After they ate, Star started playing skee-ball while Link found a game right beside her. The game was really designed for much younger kids, but Link absolutely loved it. He was having the time of his life. He was winning tickets, laughing, smiling, and just being a happy kid enjoying himself. There was nothing wrong with what he was doing. He wasn't hurting anyone or bothering anyone. He was simply playing a game that made him happy.
Apparently, there was a younger child who also wanted to play the game Link was on. From what we understand, the child went to his mom and told her that Link was "hogging" the game and wouldn't share.
Instead of simply asking Link if the other child could have a turn, this woman walked over to him, put her hand on his shoulder, and physically pulled him around.
She then loudly said, "Young man, you are way too old to be playing this game."
I can't even imagine what that must have felt like for Link.
It startled him badly. He immediately started crying and grabbed onto Star. He went from being this incredibly happy kid, laughing and winning tickets, to being scared and confused in a matter of seconds.
And then the woman realized something she apparently hadn't known before.
She immediately started apologizing and said, "Oh my God, I didn't realize you were one of those disabled kids."
That sentence has been stuck in my head.
"One of those disabled kids."
Link wasn't "one of those kids." He was Link. He was a little boy having fun. He was laughing. He was excited about winning tickets. He was enjoying himself just like every other child in that building.
And even if she hadn't known he was disabled, it wouldn't have made it okay to put her hands on him, pull him around, or speak to him that way.
Thankfully, the manager stepped in. The woman was asked to leave Chuck E. Cheese, and the manager went above and beyond afterward to try to make things right for Link. They gave him a huge credit for tickets, and Link got to pick out a really cool prize. Watching him get excited about his prize helped bring that smile back to his face, and that meant everything to us.
But unfortunately, the story didn't end there.
A few days later, we found out that the manager had actually filed a police report about what happened. Now we have been contacted, and we have to make a decision about whether we want to press charges against this woman.
And honestly, I don't know what the right answer is.
Part of me wants to let it go. I don't want Link to have to carry this experience with him any longer than he already has. I don't want to turn one awful moment into something even bigger.
But another part of me can't stop thinking about what happened.
What if nobody had stepped in? What if Star hadn't been right there for him to grab onto? What if this woman had pulled another child around like that? What if the next child she decided was "too old" to be playing a game was another disabled child who couldn't communicate what happened?
Children with disabilities deserve to be treated with the same patience, kindness, and respect as every other child.
Link deserved to have his Saturday afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese be nothing more than pizza, games, laughter, and a really cool prize.
He didn't deserve to be scared. He didn't deserve to be embarrassed. And he certainly didn't deserve to be treated like he was somehow less deserving of being there because he was playing a game meant for a younger child.
We're still trying to decide what to do from here. It's a difficult decision, because at the end of the day, I don't want revenge. I want Link to be safe, respected, and protected.
And I really hope that if there is anything good that can come from this, it's that the next time this woman sees a child who is different from what she expects, she pauses before judging them.
Because sometimes the child you think is "too old" to be playing a game is simply a child who is happy.
And sometimes, that little bit of happiness means more than you could ever know.
After they ate, Star started playing skee-ball while Link found a game right beside her. The game was really designed for much younger kids, but Link absolutely loved it. He was having the time of his life. He was winning tickets, laughing, smiling, and just being a happy kid enjoying himself. There was nothing wrong with what he was doing. He wasn't hurting anyone or bothering anyone. He was simply playing a game that made him happy.
Apparently, there was a younger child who also wanted to play the game Link was on. From what we understand, the child went to his mom and told her that Link was "hogging" the game and wouldn't share.
Instead of simply asking Link if the other child could have a turn, this woman walked over to him, put her hand on his shoulder, and physically pulled him around.
She then loudly said, "Young man, you are way too old to be playing this game."
I can't even imagine what that must have felt like for Link.
It startled him badly. He immediately started crying and grabbed onto Star. He went from being this incredibly happy kid, laughing and winning tickets, to being scared and confused in a matter of seconds.
And then the woman realized something she apparently hadn't known before.
She immediately started apologizing and said, "Oh my God, I didn't realize you were one of those disabled kids."
That sentence has been stuck in my head.
"One of those disabled kids."
Link wasn't "one of those kids." He was Link. He was a little boy having fun. He was laughing. He was excited about winning tickets. He was enjoying himself just like every other child in that building.
And even if she hadn't known he was disabled, it wouldn't have made it okay to put her hands on him, pull him around, or speak to him that way.
Thankfully, the manager stepped in. The woman was asked to leave Chuck E. Cheese, and the manager went above and beyond afterward to try to make things right for Link. They gave him a huge credit for tickets, and Link got to pick out a really cool prize. Watching him get excited about his prize helped bring that smile back to his face, and that meant everything to us.
But unfortunately, the story didn't end there.
A few days later, we found out that the manager had actually filed a police report about what happened. Now we have been contacted, and we have to make a decision about whether we want to press charges against this woman.
And honestly, I don't know what the right answer is.
Part of me wants to let it go. I don't want Link to have to carry this experience with him any longer than he already has. I don't want to turn one awful moment into something even bigger.
But another part of me can't stop thinking about what happened.
What if nobody had stepped in? What if Star hadn't been right there for him to grab onto? What if this woman had pulled another child around like that? What if the next child she decided was "too old" to be playing a game was another disabled child who couldn't communicate what happened?
Children with disabilities deserve to be treated with the same patience, kindness, and respect as every other child.
Link deserved to have his Saturday afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese be nothing more than pizza, games, laughter, and a really cool prize.
He didn't deserve to be scared. He didn't deserve to be embarrassed. And he certainly didn't deserve to be treated like he was somehow less deserving of being there because he was playing a game meant for a younger child.
We're still trying to decide what to do from here. It's a difficult decision, because at the end of the day, I don't want revenge. I want Link to be safe, respected, and protected.
And I really hope that if there is anything good that can come from this, it's that the next time this woman sees a child who is different from what she expects, she pauses before judging them.
Because sometimes the child you think is "too old" to be playing a game is simply a child who is happy.
And sometimes, that little bit of happiness means more than you could ever know.
