Don't Stare!

As a child when we see something that is not the norm, we tend to stare at it until we figure it out.  I did it and, I can distinctly remember my children doing it.  When I caught it, I would scold them, and depending on how severe it was, snap, "Don't STARE!"  Staring is not a way to deal with difference but it is a go to for people who are trying to process differences.  The staring was at someone with a missing limb, burns on most of their body, or something that made them look physically different, move very differently, or even a disorder that made them act very different.  My children, and admittedly myself when I was younger, tried to figure it out by visual processing.  This on the outside, looks harmful, rude, and like the child has not been trained, but they are just processing.

As an early childhood professional, I would calmly explain to the child that it is not nice to stare at people however, instead of leaving the issue at that, I would explain that staring makes people uncomfortable and can sometimes even make  the person feel insignificant and less than a person.  I think that a child could understand if the right wording was used. 

I would also address why the child felt the need to stare, address the difference that was seen and help the child understand why the person is different.  I think that people just snap at children out of their own embarrassment, and their won lack of prepardness in addressing the issue that stems from the incident.
Being open, being prepared for a child's curiosity, and unintentional rude behavior can lead to learning possibilities and the opportunity for a child to walk away more exposed, more understanding, and a whole lot less likely to stare if handled correctly.