My 9 year old says it's 'not fair' that a classmate doesn't have to write the Telugu test

banyan_moon_800017 Jun 2026

Short revision tests in the first week back, and she came home upset. A boy in her class doesn't write the Telugu paper at all; he sits in the library with a book during that period. She doesn't know why and neither do I, and it isn't our business. What I want is a way to explain it to her without that boy becoming a topic at our dinner table. She's a very rule-follower type. Same test for everyone, that's fairness for her. Amma tried saying 'maybe he's not well' and that made it worse, because now she thinks he's sick. How did you explain this kind of thing to a 9 year old?

2 comments

dusk_balcony_164118 Jun 2026
What worked with my son at that age was glasses. Nobody thinks it's unfair that a child who can't see the board gets glasses. Some children need a different arrangement, and the school decides who gets it. He accepted that, mostly. He still muttered about it now and then.
silver_drum_328319 Jun 2026
as a teacher: fair means everyone gets what they need, not everyone gets the same thing. kids understand that faster than adults if the example comes from their own life. is there anything she gets extra help with?
- banyan_moon_800019 Jun 2026
  There is, she gets extra Telugu reading time with her teacher because her writing is slow 😅 Didn't think of using that. Will try tonight.