Last year was challenging for all of us on so many different levels:
Loss of a loved one
Loss of a job
Loss of security and health
Loss of normal
But for my son in Kindergarten, he experienced challenges with a new ADHD diagnosis.
He had to learn completely new ways of learning. I had to learn completely new ways of parenting.
I had my first academic-related anxiety attack in the 1st grade. I don’t want him to feel the way that I felt. I had to reassess what “school success” looks like for my kid.
School success is not:
Stress and anxiety
Anger and yelling
Frustration and sadness
Name calling
Instead, school success looks more like: Taking lots and lots of breaks Finding creative ways to learn information Using Reese’s Puffs for extrinsic motivation Asking for extensions and extra resources Prioritizing mental health over grades Moving your body while learning—like riding a bicycle at the dining room table
I learned a lot this last year but the most important thing has been that my relationship with my son matters more than any grade.
School will always come with challenges for him but I hope he always remembers that he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to.
If he can do Zoom on a bicycle, he can do anything.
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For more encouragement, follow me at Faith Hope Love with Melissa Moore.
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