Tori and Zach Roloff’s son Jackson began to notice some of his differences from other children.
In this week’s episode Little people, big worldthe couple talks about how their 6-year-old son has grown to love soccer, even though he’s starting to wonder why he plays differently than his teammates.
“Jackson is super focused as a football player. He’s very coachable, he pays attention, he runs hard. He’s just not the best player,” Zach says. “Some of it is his dwarven spirit. But he is quite aware of his skills.”
“He picked up quite quickly. He can’t run away from people, so he controls the ball very well,” adds the proud dad.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Tori Roloff Says Son Jackson ‘Starting to Notice He’s Different’, Celebrates Him as ‘Unique’
He continues, saying that his son is becoming more and more aware of his condition.
“Jackson is getting to an age where the size differences are becoming more apparent and he’s not catching up,” Zach says. “Some of the opposing kids are pointing out that he’s different and he’s starting to hear that for the first time.”
Tori notes that when it first happened, Jackson blamed himself.
“The first game that happened in Jackson, she stopped in the middle of the game and told me on the sideline like they told me I was too short to play football,” the mom of three recalls.
“I hope all three of our kids find friends and families who can see them for who they are,” Zach says.
Last April, Tori told a similar story when her son Jackson took the field for his first soccer game and scored a goal for his team.
Little people, big world the star shared photos and a video of Jackson’s big moment on Instagram, writing, “I can’t tell you how thrilled we were.”
Jackson — who had surgery in 2021 to correct crooked legs — was as quick as his teammates on the court. But as Roloff wrote, “I feel like Jackson (and others) are starting to notice that there’s something different about him,” adding that they asked, “why he was so small.”
Noting that the other team didn’t bully her son, Roloff says they were “just curious. It stuck with him enough to tell me on the sideline, though. I told him ‘that’s the way God made you, now show them how fast you are!’ ”
She added: “I WANT him to know he’s different. But maybe not in the way he thinks he is.”
Tori later added: “I pray you see your differences and use them to change the world. You’re different baby. Different than any child I’ve ever met. You’re one of a kind and I’m so stinking proud to be your mom.”
Little people, big world airs Tuesdays at 9pm ET on TLC.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education