InKredible Kids
A podcast with Kosher content geared toward empowering Jewish kids of all ages. We interview kids from around the world and have many interactive segments for all kids to enjoy. While having fun and learning new skills, kids will hear about responsibility, empathy, confidence, and more!
InKredible Kids
Being Me: 2 Kids, 2 Stories of Embracing What Makes Us Unique
This episode highlights the inspiring journeys of Ari and Chaim, two boys who embrace their unique challenges of hearing loss and dyslexia. Their stories illustrate resilience and offer valuable lessons on understanding, empathy, and the importance of appreciating one's individuality.
• Ari shares his experiences with hearing aids and music
• Discussion on the curiosity of others surrounding disabilities
• Chaim opens up about his dyslexia and new educational opportunities
• TAL Academy's role in providing tailored learning for Chaim
• Emphasis on the importance of understanding and empathy among kids
• Encouragement to embrace uniqueness and personal stories
• Call for self-portrait activity, reflecting individual strengths
Hey kids, welcome back to the next episode of the Incredible Kids Podcast. My name is Moritz Ciri and I will be your host. Through this incredible journey, we are going to meet many incredible kids. They are going to share with us their stories, some of them super cool and different like you've never heard before, and some you may say are just ordinary, but all of them incredible. If you have great ideas, email me today at ikidspodcasts at gmailcom. And now it's time for Incredible Kids. It's time for the joke of the day. Yay, today's joke is brought to you by Esther W from Scottsdale, arizona.
Speaker 2:Why doesn't Benny Freeman stop at a red light. Because he never breaks. Why doesn't Benny? Freeman, go to gymnastics. Because he never bends.
Speaker 1:Hi everybody and welcome back to Incredible Kids Podcast. Today I am so excited to present to you an episode with two boys who seriously entertained me and I know they will entertain you too. So if you're listening to this at home, in your bed, in your car, on the moon, wherever you are in the world, I hope you get some good laughs, some nice inspiration and some real thinking wheels in your brain of how these lessons will make a difference in your life. That's the point of Incredible Kids Kids inspiring kids. Speaking of inspiration, keep your eyes open for the newest Incredible Kids video that is coming out Totally free to watch a kids documentary about the Holocaust.
Speaker 1:I went to Brooklyn and I interviewed four really, really, really unbelievable Holocaust survivors, because I believe that it's important that each and every one of you gets to meet Holocaust survivors. While Baruch Hashem, we still have them. They're getting older and they have so many stories to share with us and all they want is for the next generation of kids to hear their stories and to let their stories inspire them to become better people. You guys are the ones who are going to continue their special life and legacy, so keep your eyes open. The film will be available very soon at incrediblekidsorg. We asked our listeners can you share one special thing about yourself? Here's what they had to say.
Speaker 2:My name is Mary, I'm five and three quarters, and what's special about me? I do mid-spas. Hi, my name is Moshe, I'm seven years old, and what makes me special is that I like to help people. Hi, I'm three. I'm six and a half. I am special because I started writing my own secrets that were like a real sofa. Hi, my name is Rafi. I am nine years old, and one special thing about me is I learned how to ride a hoverboard at five years old. Hi, my name is Sheva and I'm nine years old, and something that's special about me is that I'm good at drawing and I draw on every single paper that my teacher gives out. My name is Bencion and I am 12 years old. One thing that is very special about me and everyone else is that we are all incredible kids. Hello, my name is Shana and I'm 10 years old. Something special about me is that my parents were second cousins before they got married. Hi, my name is.
Speaker 3:Sarah, miriam and I'm 12 years old, and one special quality about myself is that I love to give. And one special quality about myself is that I love to give.
Speaker 1:Our first guest on today's episode is Ari. Ari is a boy who I discovered in the most unlikely of places, which you will hear about really soon. I hope you enjoy his sparkling personality. Ari has a unique challenge that is connected to hearing loss. In last week's episode we heard from Lea Golda, whose father has a form of hearing loss, and we discussed with her what it's like from a daughter's perspective. This week we delve further into what it's like for a kid who has hearing loss. Ari is the perfect example of a kid who has a challenge and rocks it. I hope you enjoy this interview with Ari. Hey, ari, can you introduce yourself to everyone listening? My name is Ari.
Speaker 2:I'm seven. I lost my teeth. Recently I lost four teeth. School's going good, everything's going great.
Speaker 1:Where do you live? Baltimore? Okay, good. So here's a fun fact. Last week, I know, do you live Baltimore? Okay, good. So here's a fun fact. Last week, I know where you were on Sunday, at the supermarket. No, I'll tell you how about that. I'll tell you where you were. You were at the NCSY concert. Whoa.
Speaker 1:Oh, ncsy, I was sitting one, two, three rows or four rows behind you. I didn't see you. Well, that's because I was behind you, did you see me? Yeah, and should I tell you what you were doing, what you were dancing your head off? I know, that's what I do every year. Every year, you dance your head off. Yeah, why, I don't know, why do you think? Like think they asked me to stand?
Speaker 2:up, so I stand up. Who asked you? The singers asked to stand up so we stand up.
Speaker 1:They said like Ari, please stand up.
Speaker 1:No, they said the whole crowd said please stand up, but not everybody stood up. Like how come not everybody listens? I don't know. You were just standing up because they said to I know You're really good at following direction, mm-hmm, but, ari, I think there's more to it, what I think.
Speaker 1:You really like music? Yeah, I do. I have a 24-6, a solo to me. Wow, is it just yours alone or you share it? It's just mine, Lucky kid. I play music with it Exactly, kid, I play music with it Exactly, and I can tell that music means a lot to you. Some people think that music is something that you only listen to. Like. If I said to you how do you experience music? What would you tell me? You listen to it on headphones, for example. My grandfather came to the concert and should I tell you a secret? I was trying to tell my grandfather something. I was like Zadie. He was sitting next to us. Zadie wasn't answering me. Now, the music at concerts is very loud, but he wasn't answering even when I was screaming. And then you know what I realized what he was wearing earplugs. Like. Who wears earplugs at a concert? Who does that?
Speaker 2:I know Right, a lot of people do. I see tons of people when they're at loud stuff like fun loud stuff.
Speaker 1:they bring earplugs. It's so interesting. I know it's so funny, it's like why?
Speaker 2:I have no clue why. I've always been wondering that, like, why do you even come? I am because, I don't know, maybe their grandson or someone drags them there.
Speaker 1:I think that's what happened. I think they just want to come because they feel like they should be there, but they're like I want to put in earplugs and just watch my grandchildren have a good time. Anyways, K, so the reason why I think it's so cool that you're so into music is because, like I was saying before, music is something that people listen to. But what if listening to something or hearing something is a challenge for them? Then you start to realize that music is something you could actually experience with your whole body. What do you think about that? I think that's true Because music.
Speaker 2:you can use your hands for it. You can use your mouth for it. It's also about using a lot of stuff for it your ears, you use it for some of it, but you mostly use your mouth for it and your hands and your feet for it.
Speaker 1:And can you feel it like in your like senses? Yeah, you could. Yeah, you could Same Me too. I agree it's a really cool thing, all right. So tell me about yourself, ari, because what's unique about you is kind of you wear it on the outside, because when I look at you I see that there's something different about you. Can you explain that to everyone listening?
Speaker 2:My hearing aids are something because I failed a hearing test so I had to have these on me, and every time they grow too small on me I go to the special person it's like an ear doctor and she gives me new ones, whoa, okay.
Speaker 1:So when did you fail this hearing test? When you were a newborn, yeah, newborn, okay. So when did you fail this hearing test when you?
Speaker 2:were a newborn yeah, newborn. I had to be fast asleep. They put this stuff on my brain and my ear and they made noise and if they saw my brain shook, that means I didn't fail and my brain was still sleeping. So I failed the hearing test. That's why I have these.
Speaker 1:Wow, you explained that like a professional. I mean I'm guessing that someone must have explained that to you, yeah my mother did Wow, and I love that, because it's really important for kids to understand, like, if they have some sort of medical thing or anything going on with them, they should understand, like, what's going on with my body. I wonder what happened before that, though. Like, why did they give you a hearing test? Because when a baby is born, like in the hospital, they have to have some.
Speaker 2:they have to have a test on their whole body to see if they can do everything. If something is down, that means they can't do it and they're gonna have to have something that helps them do it.
Speaker 1:So I think they do certain tests right away and if they see that this baby is not responding to it, like you know, to certain stimuluses in the environment, stimuli I don't know how to say that plural, but then they're like the baby is not responding to different sounds in the environment. It's really good they picked up on it when you were a tiny baby, because the sooner you find the problem, the better they can help you get it fixed. Yeah, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so baruch Hashem for that, and it's really good that your parents were really caring about you from day one. Okay, so what kind of doctor do you go to all the time? The audiologist. The audiologist yeah, it's a type of doctor, it's like a hearing doctor. Tell me some fun things about what happens there, because many of us have never been to one.
Speaker 2:She makes this like pink thing and when she uses it she makes a ball out of it and I get to get the ball. That's what happens. I get a ball. She uses it to make my moles and also.
Speaker 1:Can you show me the hearing aid? I want to see it. I wasn't expecting you to be able to pull it off so easily. Whoa, what's that? It's a mold.
Speaker 2:A mold it's like, made out of pink stuff, and when she uses it she makes a ball out of it and she gives it to me. I sometimes ask for it for two, for one for my sister.
Speaker 1:So I get a ball and I get to play with the ball, and it's made out of the same material that they use to craft. Basically, they need to figure out the shape of the inside of your ear.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, they stick the pink thing connected to, like this string, and they stick it in my ear until it's the shape of my ear and then they copy that and send it to a truck that goes to Florida and it gets me a new hearing aid, wow, okay, thank you.
Speaker 1:I never knew this. This is new information for me. The most similar thing I could think of is like when you're getting a retainer for your teeth after braces. They need to make, they need to know what your mouth.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know my cousin has Invisalign Because I'm living that Invisalign life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, that's the same idea. So the shape of your mouth. So here they're doing the same thing with the ear. So what he just explained is that they put something in his ear to make it the shape, because if you take your finger and you feel the inside of you, know the opening of your outer ear everybody can try that. Now, even right, they can go like this and feel it and feel that it's different for everyone. It's a different shape, so they need to know what shape it is. You know what it reminds me of Ari, what I.
Speaker 1:You know what it reminds me of Ari, what I. Don't know if you ever noticed, but if you look very closely at a stage when a singer is performing, they have special earpieces that look just like yours, that they also got a mold to make them, and in this earpiece they can hear instructions from the band leader or from whoever's running the show, and it's like a secret message system that a singer has while he's performing. Did you ever see that singers have something in their ear? Yeah, I saw that before. So, yeah, they have to get it molded probably not from an audiologist just to be able to have something that fits nicely in their ear, so it's really cool. I've seen the process before and it's very similar to what you're describing, so you're matching with some really cool hot shots out there. Oh, so when you were a baby, they found out that you failed your hearing test.
Speaker 1:So, did that mean that you couldn't hear anything at all?
Speaker 2:Without my hearing aids I could hear a little bit, like I could hear you talking, because you're talking like through a microphone, like at concerts. Sometimes they take off my hearing aids and I still feel it blasting in my ears because I could hear a little bit. But if it's like super duper loud, then I could hear it like so loud even with my hearing aids out.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you were able to hear something. It was just that you really needed something to help make it louder. So tell me, like what does the hearing aid do?
Speaker 2:It helps you hear better. This part is the batteries. Look, I can open this up. See this white, silver, white thing that's a battery. Every weekend I have to put in a new battery and then, when I close up the door, the battery makes this little noise and then it starts all over again and I can hear it again. Batteries, batteries. They come in different sizes, shapes and colors too, batteries. Batteries Could be yellow, might be green, or maybe red and blue Batteries, batteries. And I have to change it every week.
Speaker 1:So it's not like a charging type of thing. You like throw out the old battery and put in a new one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have to make sure it goes straight into the garbage, because I have two babies.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's a really good thing to say, because people don't realize that old batteries, or any batteries, should not be anywhere around kids, because they're very dangerous. If somebody would put a battery in their mouth, it is very dangerous. So we always have to dispose of old batteries in the garbage.
Speaker 2:My baby brother, once he got burned, had coffee on his arm and had to go to the hospital. It was on a Shabbos and he came back and he was all white. He was covered in white. They made him these white clothes and then what happened was the next time he skipped a step and, duck, dropped out his two front teeth. Oh my gosh. And then he was bleeding and I had to come again for the second time.
Speaker 1:So we don't want any more of those kind of emergencies, so we're going to do what we can. Okay, so back to what you were saying before about big events, that sometimes they can be very loud. So if you're at a wedding, I'm not sure like exactly what happens when you're wearing a hearing aid. Is it making everybody around you even louder?
Speaker 2:If the crowd is like screaming, that means it's extra loud. It's really like super duper loud. But when the crowd screams it's so like when they give out a shout out. I'm on my hearing aids. I can hear how I usually hear. When it's not so loud, I can hear, but when the crowd screams it comes extra loud Interesting.
Speaker 1:Okay, you can turn that down yourself. You know how to do that, no.
Speaker 2:I can't.
Speaker 1:No, when I go to the audiologist, she has a special thing on her computer and she can make it go louder and lower if I ask let's say you're at a wedding and it's bothering you that it's so loud Are you able to do something about it? I'm allowed to take out my hearing aids.
Speaker 2:Okay. My parents usually always ask me do you want to take out your?
Speaker 1:hearing aids and I'm like no, you usually say no, yeah, usually Because you're a party boy. Yeah, I like loud stuff a lot, to hear everything, like everyone else?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm able to hear it's perfect, amazing. And how do your friends treat you with this? I make new friends like very quickly because they go around me. So they like me, because I tell them information about it, and then they want to be my friend because I tell them so much information.
Speaker 2:You're not afraid to talk about it, so it doesn't scare them I usually tell like a hundred people, and sometimes I just don't want to tell more people. So they ask what's in my ear and I say I don't want to talk about it right now. So I go I go.
Speaker 1:Sometimes kids do that. Kids just walk up to you and say like what's in your ear? Yeah, random kids. What do you think about that?
Speaker 2:I don't like it when they say that, because it's really hard at once. I know, know them Like my cousin. He knows what's in my ear, because I told him to sleep when I was like a little kid.
Speaker 1:Totally Like I understand why they're curious, but if you're curious about something, you don't just walk up to someone and say that that's not the right thing to do. Yeah, what do you think they should do instead? I don't know, like, let's say, you saw another kid and they had something about them, like they were in a wheelchair. Let's say Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't walk up to them because I don't want to disturb them, right, like you would never walk over to them and be like why are you in a wheelchair? I don't want to embarrass them, right? I feel like more kids need to know that, that even if you're curious about something, there's a way to do it that other kids knew about you.
Speaker 2:I wish that everyone knew about my hearing aids, because then it wouldn't bother me anymore, so that I could just walk right where I want to go without kids asking me what's in your ear.
Speaker 1:I'm assuming that, like you said before, you have a lot of friends, so probably at a certain point they get used to it and then they don't even think about that anymore.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I tell them. I tell, yeah, they feel like I don't even have it in my ear anymore when I play in school. I feel like I have other ears and I don't have the. I don't have them. They're just like so old that I feel like I don't have them anymore because I'm just so focused on the game that I'm playing that it just that it feels like it disappears.
Speaker 1:I know I didn't know you before we started this conversation. Like I said, I saw you at the concert. I happen to know your mother for many years. Me and your mother were in seminary together. Do you know that? No, yeah, so like I know who you are. I've seen you before and in my head you were like the boy with hearing aids. Yeah, but now that I'm talking to you I'm also forgetting about it. We're just having a regular conversation about I don't know anything, like we could talk about anything and like I already forgot about it. Like I'm looking at you right now and I'm not even noticing your hearing aids anymore. Maybe for the first minute I did, I'll be honest, but now it's like totally normal and I think that that is the trick, meaning if there's another child, if there's a kid that is different than you and you're nervous about it, just talk to them, get to know them, talk to them about anything and you'll see that like you could relate to them and everything else falls away.
Speaker 2:It's so not important, it's just something on the outside. No, I think that that is true. That's what happens to a lot of people. Like at the beginning of the year, all my friends ask me, what are they thinking? And now they don't even realize what they are. They think, like I'm not, I don't even have any specials. Also, like I'm not, that I don't even have any specials about my body.
Speaker 1:Also, like I said this in the beginning, I said like there's something different about you, but we see it on the outside. You know how many people are walking around with things in their life that they're not wearing on the outside? For example, somebody could have terrible anxiety and they could always be nervous about things, but you don't see it on the outside always. So it happens to be. There's something about you that we can see and it's actually kind of cute, like it's fine, it's different, it's interesting, like why not? You know, you rock it, ari. You rock your hearing aids. I know, you know what I mean. Yeah, it's just fine. It's like an accessory who cares, and like other people have other stuff. We can't ever look at someone and just think of them as a certain type because of any one thing. It's so not important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, you know.
Speaker 1:Ari, let's end off with a strong message for everybody out there. If you can give one message to tons and tons of kids around the world, what would you say that they?
Speaker 2:should know that my hearing aids help me hear and that they help me hear and I get new ones every time they grow out.
Speaker 1:If somebody has something hard for them, like what get new ones every time they grow out? If somebody has something hard for them like what you sound like.
Speaker 2:you really understand that you have an older brother and he's trying to beat you up. You just go to your mother and tell her that your brother's trying to beat you up. Also, you could hide and he can't find you anymore.
Speaker 1:Aha, pearls of wisdom. You know I wasn't expecting that advice to be so practical, but that was awesome. What's your best hiding place from your older brother? Are you the older brother that they're hiding from? I have an older sister, yeah, but older sisters don't like. They don't necessarily. Maybe, maybe, I don't know, I'm not going to put it past your older sister. I hope you had fun here today. I sure did. You keep being incredible, and I'll see you around Baltimore. You keep being incredible and I'll see you around Baltimore. Oh, and let's give a shout out to your grandmother. Which one? The one who's a famous singer? Lolly, what do you call her, though? She has an interesting name. No, gaga, gaga, yeah, yeah, so her. My kids discovered her on 24-6, and they sing this song called Cake, cookies and Chocolate. Yeah, can you sing?
Speaker 2:it for me Cookies and chocolate, my favorite guy.
Speaker 1:Okay, cookies and chocolate my favorite guy Hooray, you should be so proud of yourself, ari. You're awesome and have a wonderful day. Thank you, bye. One thing that I think is so cool that I've learned about Ari after the interview is that when he goes to the audiologist the doctor who manages his hearing abilities he has the option to customize his hearing aids in the colors of his choice. So at any given time, if you would see Ari, he could be sporting different color hearing aids. So sometimes he chooses to get them the color of his favorite football team and I kind of wish I asked him that question like what are they now? But I was like I got to add that in because that is just such a fun thing. Very similar to how, like, when you have braces, you've got to change the colors of the rubber bands. But that's just another example of how this is just part of his normal life and he doesn't even necessarily look at it as something that's so unique and different, because he got used to it and he's confident about it. He explains it to his friends and he moves on. Now do you see why Ari is such an inspiration? I hope you enjoyed that.
Speaker 1:Our next interview is coming right up after this very important reminder. Hey, I have a challenge for you. Tell me a place where Jewish kids can get together outside of school and do something super special from all places around the world. What's that you said? That's right, tehillim Army Getting together since October 7th every single Thursday night on Zoom. Check out the information on incrediblekidsorg, click on the Tehillim Army tab and make sure to sign up for our WhatsApp group notifications so you can know about any changes, surprise special events and, of course, all of the emerging Incredible Kids content that you want to get to know about right away.
Speaker 1:Each Tehillim Army Zoom call is so unique and different, with guests coming to uplift and entertain all of us together to promote achdos and closeness to Hashem, all the while davening and praying for our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. We have a particular focus, especially now more than ever, on praying especially hard for our hostages to come home safely every single one of them and, of course, for every single soldier who is risking their lives. On behalf of all of us, join us Thursday nights, 6 pm Eastern Standard Time. If you miss it, the time doesn't work for you. Join us on the recordings and, yes, stay Tehillim with us.
Speaker 1:It definitely counts for something special. Can't wait to see you there. And next time you come, bring a friend. Don't forget to spread the word, because when people find out about it and they're like what, how come I didn't know about it this whole time? Encourage them that it's not too late. We even have tons more Tehillims for them to purchase online at incrediblekidsorg. Click on the shop button and there are Tehillims, plus all different kinds of swag that you can order as well to make you feel more incredible every single day the Hillim Army.
Speaker 1:And now back to this week's episode For our next interview. I sat down with Chaim. I have gotten to know Chaim and his family and I am so impressed by the way he tries so, so, so hard in his struggle, which is in a completely different area, in the area of reading and language skills. I'm going to let him share his story directly with you when I play this interview, but I want you to keep in mind that if you struggle with a similar type of thing, remember that the things that work for some people are not going to be the same that work for others, and so we all need to figure out in our own paths what kind of services we need, what kind of help we need, and the good news is that very often the help we need is available. Just sometimes takes time to figure it out. Please enjoy this awesome interview with Chaim. Hi everybody, we're here today. Live with Chaim. Chaim, can you introduce yourself to all the kids out there?
Speaker 2:Hello, my name is Chaim, I'm eight years old and I live in Queens.
Speaker 1:Can I ask you a question about Queens? Is there a queen in Queens? No, so why is it called Queens? How am I supposed to know? I have no idea and I'm much older than you, so don't feel bad about that. One time when my kids were little, I told them we're going to the Queens Hanukkah party, because it means that, like we were going to a Hanukkah party in Queens and one of my kids was like I don't want to go. I'm scared of the queen.
Speaker 1:So I always laugh now when I hear queens oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho ho. Today we're doing an episode featuring incredible kids who have something special to share about your own personal life, but also we want to show that if there's something different about you or the way that Hashem made you, there's so much more that's important to focus on. So I want you to start off telling us what are some awesome things about yourself, some of your hobbies.
Speaker 2:Okay. So let's say I'm playing baseball and someone just strikes out. I'm saying like, try next time. Like you did a great job, you always got it.
Speaker 1:So close. So, first of all, you're telling me that you love to play baseball. But not just do you like to play baseball, you're also the kind of guy when you're on a team that's cheering on the people who maybe are not so good at it yet. Yeah, whoa, that's a really special quality. Yep, where do you have the opportunity to play baseball? Home school, nice? Yeah, are you into any other sports besides baseball? Soccer?
Speaker 2:dodgeball, basketball, all sports.
Speaker 1:Cool. What else are you good at Cheering people up? Do you cheer people up outside of sports games also? Yeah, chaim, what school do you go? To? Powell Academy. So I know that Farraquay is like a little bit close to Queens. How do you get to school every day? Bus. How long does the bus ride? Two hours what. Each way. Why does it?
Speaker 2:take so long. We went to Farrakh. It takes like an hour and then I have stopped.
Speaker 1:So what do you do on the bus, like so that you don't lose your mind? Play music. What's your favorite music to listen to? Jacob Swacky's. I'm Michelle. I don't think a lot of kids know about Tal Academy. I heard amazing things about your school. I want people listening to understand what kind of amazing school you go to.
Speaker 2:So, for example, what's this thing, what's the thing that's called?
Speaker 1:Dyslexia.
Speaker 2:Yeah, dyslexia, so like, if you have it, you go to school.
Speaker 1:We actually discussed dyslexia on this podcast like maybe a year ago, and I think it's a really important topic to bring up again because because since then I know tons of kids who have been diagnosed with dyslexia and a lot of kids started talking about it Like oh, my friend has dyslexia, and then I was talking to my own kids about it and we realized that a lot of kids don't even understand what that means. Why is it that there's something different about them that you for sure can't tell from the outside, like you can't really read and you need help to read. So kids who need extra help reading like when it's really hard for them A lot of those kids are in a regular school and they're sometimes not really learning the way that they are meant to learn, right? Yeah, so you're very lucky that, baruch Hashem, your parents found this school for you.
Speaker 2:Like what if the school wasn't there? How am I supposed to be reading? Right, it's a good thing, the school's there, all academy, yeah, but also sneak peek, there's a show on top of it sneak peek, yes, on top of your school now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, fun fact, right, yeah, fun fact. I want you to take us back to like before. So before you went there, you were in a different school, a class that was much Like how many boys were in your class before? Probably like 30. Whoa, 30 boys. Do you remember like how it felt when everybody was learning how to read? Yeah, if.
Speaker 2:I had a test. I can read what it said. Every test I got in the year was an F minus, f minus.
Speaker 1:I didn't even know there was such a thing Like F is for fail, yeah, and then the minus. So it's like you failed, but extra fail. You were getting that because you couldn't even read the directions. Let's say somebody would have read the test to you, would you understand it? Probably Because you're a very smart boy. I'm not just saying that, I actually know you're very smart Because I just spent some time with you and the things that you were saying are very mature and I could tell that you have a very high level of thinking in your head. All because reading is hard for you. It definitely does not mean anything is different about the way you think. The stuff you know and the is amazing and capable of great things. It's okay to ask for help when.
Speaker 1:I need it. When those kind of things would happen, when, like everyone else, was reading something that was like that was the easy part for them, right, just reading the question, but you couldn't even get to that, what did that feel?
Speaker 2:like inside of you, like bad but also good. I didn't have to read, did it feel?
Speaker 1:frustrating, yeah, when bad but also good I didn't have to read, did it feel frustrating, yeah, what the teachers were trying to teach you how to read, like they were teaching your friends. This is an a, this is a b. What was going through your head?
Speaker 2:I don't listen, but not really listening. I'm getting distracted you're getting distracted.
Speaker 1:What do the letters look like to you? Like boring stuff, let's say, like the word cat c, c-a-t. When you looked at those letters, what were you thinking?
Speaker 2:Maybe I think it's K-A-T. When I have a spelling test, I would do K-A-T.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a pretty honest mistake because, like the C and the K have exactly the same sound. So basically, it was very frustrating and a little bit happy for you because you're like, whatever, I can't do this, so I'm just going to have no work. Yeah, it might feel fun for a second to be like, oh, whatever, I'm just not going to do it because I don't know it. But really, did you want to learn inside of you? Yeah, what grade did you start TAL Academy in? Second, now that it's your second year there? You mentioned that now you know a little bit how to read. What do they do different to help you?
Speaker 2:They only give us like 15 minutes of recess.
Speaker 1:They're very focused on teaching. Yeah, and how many kids are in your class in the new school? Seven Way smaller than what you had before, right, yeah, do you enjoy?
Speaker 2:that, yeah, I'll say.
Speaker 1:there's so much people in the class you can't know where your best friend is yeah, you lose your best friend in a crowd of 30 kids. It's like hello, friend, where are you? He's like I'm over here behind kid number 27. You could spend your whole hour of recess looking for your best friend. Oh my, okay. But practically speaking, when it's time for learning and there's only seven kids in the class, you feel like you get a lot more attention. It's easier to read when there's only seven kids in the class Mm-hmm, it's not that noisy?
Speaker 1:Do they have different ways of teaching you that your mind could understand better? Yeah, I used to teach kindergarten and my job was to teach kids how to read. She teaches kids how to read, opens up their minds. Some of the kids understood it right away and they were like this is easy and they were reading like fast and for some of the kids it was like medium, and for some of the kids it was really really hard, really hard, and I really really tried to help them, but sometimes I realized that I didn't even know how to do that. You know, it was even too hard for me.
Speaker 1:As the mora, I was like I need to learn how to teach these kids. So I think that the teachers in your school went to special trainings so they can give you the best education possible and they can really help with whatever's like really at the core of whatever's going on for you. It's not just like you don't want to learn, yeah, or like you don't care. It's something that you need to learn differently. It's not working right. So what do they do?
Speaker 2:There's like a thing like an activity that you have to like. Write a sentence and you glue it. Whoever makes the best sentence that makes the most sense. You get a ticket at the end of every month.
Speaker 1:It's a raffle, so you make learning like extra fun. Yeah, wow, that's awesome. You mentioned that you have dyslexia. A lot of kids have it. It just means that reading for you and spelling are going to be more challenging and you're going to have to learn new ways to do that. And, baruch Hashem, you're reading now. It's an amazing thing that you're starting to read now and it's like a whole new world. Tell me something special about, like your favorite part of the school that you're part of. Besides, for the reading part, there's jobs in the school. Oh, you have jobs. They give you jobs, they give people in the school jobs.
Speaker 2:So what's your job? Parsha, getting parsha treats and making parsha questions.
Speaker 1:You make up the parsha questions. Yeah, who gave you that job, principal? So the principal came over to you one day and said hi, I'm, you're in charge of parsha questions. Yeah, everyone has a job in the school. Oh so you weren't weren't surprised that, like you, were getting a job, that's really hard to make up Parsha questions. Could you give me a Parsha question right now from any Parsha?
Speaker 2:Three things that Sarah lose when she dies.
Speaker 1:Three things that Sarah lost when she died. Three things that were lost from the tent yeah, um, the cloud on the top, the Shabbos candles staying lit yeah, and the fresh challah. Did I do well? Yeah, do I get into the raffle? Now? You have to write it down on paper. Oh, I have to write it down. I'll put it in a box. So you know, I think your school is very smart because that way you have extra practice with writing things down. It makes it exciting to write then. Yeah, I like that a lot. And when you make up the questions, you have to write the questions. Yeah, wow, who's your principal? He sounds like a genius. Rabbi Dax, you know what I just realized what.
Speaker 1:This is so crazy. Rabbi Dax's nephew is the other boy on this podcast. How crazy is that? Really crazy. I think that's pretty nuts.
Speaker 2:It's like a podcast, Shadach.
Speaker 1:Mazel Tov, if you could give advice to all the kids out there who are going through any sort of challenge in their life, what do you want them to remember about themselves?
Speaker 2:Something, gives you whatever you're supposed to get. So whatever I'm supposed to get, I get. So if someone wanted me to get dyslexia, then I would have gotten dyslexia. If someone wanted me to get dyslexia, it's what you're supposed to get. Like, for example, I don't want this suitcase, I don't want this.
Speaker 1:It's what Hashem wants you to have Like if your struggle is like you want a certain suitcase and you can't get it If it's what. Hashem wants, you're going to get it. I love that. Where did you get this perspective about Hashem? From Just thinking of it? Did you learn that from somebody in your life? My father? How do you know that he believes that?
Speaker 2:He just told me. I'm saying like, believe that, believe that.
Speaker 1:Trying to get me to believe it. It sounds like it's working. Yeah, wow, that's beautiful, chaim, you're such an inspiration. I need to remember that too. I have struggles.
Speaker 2:Okay, if you have struggles, try doing something.
Speaker 1:Try to do something Like what Like if you can and try reading the things that are hard for you. Keep going at it. Yeah, keep going. Practice makes perfect. Practice makes better. Yeah, because no one's perfect. Yeah, right, but I know what you mean, because that is a good line. Practice makes perfect. And also, if you're afraid to fail and you're afraid to not get the best at something, then you'll never get better. Yeah, like you said you used to get.
Speaker 1:A lot of kids could be like that's just not fair and they could feel like ugh about themselves, but you kept trying. Also, I want to say one thing Chaim, right, it's really hard. Like when you're even in your new school, in Tall Academy, do you work a lot with like takeout teachers, one-on-one. Like does anyone ever sit with you and say, chaim, we're going to read today? Like just you and one teacher? Sometimes much boring.
Speaker 1:I just want to say that a lot of kids, even in just like a regular mainstream school with maybe 20 or 30 kids in their class, a lot of times kids get pulled out for speech therapy and for extra reading practice and other things like that, and when they're just one teacher with one kid, it's a lot of pressure. You know it's like you have to do the work. You can't space out, it's just you and the teacher. It could be really hard and you have to work really hard. So like, yeah, they're giving you a lot of attention and time, but you also can't space out like you could space out when there's other kids in your class and sometimes we like spacing out.
Speaker 1:Chaim, I loved hearing from you and I love seeing that you're such an awesome kid and I still remember what you said in the beginning, that one of your actual hobbies is caring about your friends, and it's not every day that I meet a kid who says that. A lot of times they like to talk about their art and their sports and their games that they play, but rarely do I meet a kid who says one of my hobbies is caring about other people, and I'm very inspired from that. So thank you.
Speaker 2:You could do it too. Don't just say, okay, I'm seeing the difference in myself.
Speaker 1:You could do it too. Believe in yourself. You don't have to be afraid when we all believe. That's your message to all the kids listening. I love that. Well, Chaim, you're an incredible kid.
Speaker 2:All these kids are lucky to hear it straight from you.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us today. Thank you, bye. I am beyond proud of Chaim, and Chaim should be super proud of himself for speaking so openly and bravely about something that could be very personal to him, with confidence, with the knowledge that he is an awesome kid and his challenge is there. But he will get through it and he will continue to have a positive attitude and that really unparalleled belief in Hashem in his simple yet such deep words. If Hashem gave you something, then that is a challenge that is meant for you. I love that. After I spoke to Chaim, I looked further into his school, tal Academy, which services kids with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, and just maybe you'll hear more about them in a future Incredible Kids feature. And now it's time for homework. Oh, come on, not that kind, okay. So for homework today we're going to do something a little different. We are going to do a self-portrait, one of my all-time favorite activities to do by myself and with my students. A self portrait is really drawing a picture of yourself. Get it.
Speaker 1:Today you heard two interviews from kids who are learning about themselves, realizing that there are the challenges that they face, and then there is the things about themselves that matter most. I want you to take a piece of paper, a pencil whatever drawing materials that you. You to take a piece of paper, a pencil whatever drawing materials that you prefer and draw a picture of yourself, but make sure to highlight the parts that make you unique. Think about how you can draw yourself and make sure that this picture includes the things that are special about you. For everybody it could be different. You might have to add some extra details to your picture. It might be reflected in the actual expression on your face.
Speaker 1:You come up with a way that you can draw a picture of yourself that shows your special qualities, because, at the end of the day, the thing that we need to appreciate the most is the life Hashem gave us, the talents that you have and those special qualities that lie inside of you, and don't let all of the challenges and the outside noise distract you from that most important thing. So get working, get drawing, and I hope all of us realize at all times our own special, unique qualities and with practice, we'll start noticing them and using them for the right reasons every single day. Thank you for being part of Incredible Kids and don't forget to follow us Wherever you listen to your podcasts, Subscribe wherever you gotta subscribe, and I can't wait to see you on the next episode Of Incredible Kids Podcast.
Speaker 2:Are you an incredible kid? Send your story to iKidsPodcast at gmailcom. Subscribe today To the Incredible.
Speaker 1:Kids Podcast. Thanks for listening and remember you are all.
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