Dysgraphia Or Lack Of Patience? Struggling to Read & Write

 

Heya, happy homeschoolers! Do you ever have regrets from not doing something earlier with one of your kids? Like when you know that one kid is behind in learning something or completely "immune" to learning something? You are NOT alone. This is a normal, common feeling of inadequacy in the homeschool community. This is not your fault.

We as parents do the best we can, especially when there are little funds to use for education as well as traumatic lives.

I feel this way the most about child #4, Jalani. He is 7 years old and has the most trouble with reading that I have ever seen out of any of MY children. And to be honest, it makes me feel like shit. Despite him always being one of those slower ones in regards to development/speaking/mobility, I still always say, "Maybe I didn't talk to him enough","maybe I didn't read to him enough", "maybe I didn't do this or that and that's why he is struggling". Hubby and I go through that a lot.

Our lives have mostly been hell as far as how these kids came about and the million bouts of family trauma and homelessness that befell us during certain times. I often think that Jalani is a product of whatever mess we had going then, but it wasn't something we could help. We did our best.

Things like this makes you regret homeschooling, because you start thinking that they would have been better off starting off in daycare and school. Regardless of what society says and how things may seem, that's never a better option. Your child deserves your undivided attention and love.

I had to learn to accept that Jalani is just different in regards to how he learns and interacts. I mean, I've been around kids all my life. My mom owned a school. I do know that they all learn differently and you cannot treat them all the same. But it's a whole new ball game when it's your own kid! Sometimes, it's hard to come to terms with that. I used to think that Jalani was autistic, but he isn't. Doctors say that he is fine. I know that he is, even though he has writing issues that could possibly be dysgraphia, which could also be causing his lack of interest in reading. He also holds his pencil horribly every day. His grip isn't there at all. I asked him a million times if his hands hurt while writing; he says no, but his unstable handwriting says otherwise.

People have told me to just give him time, that he will pick up the reading and writing when he feels like it. I don't know when that will be, but I will have to develop more patience.

I am already very slow with him because he is not a fast paced person. His mind operates slowly; it only fires up when it comes to building blocks or scheming on how to get away with doing troublesome things around the house and to his siblings. That's also a frustration; it's like, I know how smart he is, but for now, he only uses those smarts for destruction. -_- Fuck. Guess that's just boys for you. LOL!

Don't give up on your struggling homeschooler. Admire them for whatever stage they are at in life and embrace it wholeheartedly whenever they do start to engage in the areas where they currently flop. Some things will come back around. Life is a cycle...

~Uncaged Learning Homeschool~
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