Validation Makes Hearts Happy
I feel like I've lost the blogging groove. It's not for lack of blog fodder; rather almost for an excess. I'm too busy actually living my life to write about it. But there have been no dearth of developments, the most recent and major being sending my 7-year-old to public school.
When you enter the system as former homeschoolers (technically I'm not a "former" homeschooler, since I'm homeschooling my 4-year-old in Kindergarten this year, but HE is a former homeschooler), you expect a certain amount of ... uncertainty from the system. You expect to be frowned upon for having bucked the system. You expect to be treated, maybe, as a little bit of a leper.
I'm pleased to say that has not been our experience in even the slightest of ways, and Q's school has been amazing at helping him with the transition, getting him services for his special needs, and keeping me in the loop as to the goings-on.
I got just such an updating phone call from the school social worker today. She called primarily to discuss options for deterring persistent chewing behavior, but also took the time to chat with me about his transition process. She told me how much she adores him, what an amazing, awesome little boy he is, and what a fantastic job we have done parenting and teaching him. Now it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn here a little, maybe, but you have to know that over the past 7 years, I (and my husband, but mostly I) have done so much questioning, second-guessing, and self-criticizing. I have rarely felt I was the parent I wanted to be, I constantly re-evaluated my approach to parenting and learning, to discipline and health, to social activity and psychology. Even having him evaluated for an autism spectrum disorder (Asperger's) was a huge question mark for us right up until we did it. So to have someone who sees children day in and day out, who is a professional, who is objective, who has no reason to spare my feelings or stoke my ego, to have someone like that all but rave about how wonderful my child is and give me the credit. Well, it did my heart good and put a very nice exclamation point on my day.
The other nice thing to happen was that school pictures came home. I DEFY you to look at this face and not smile.
When you enter the system as former homeschoolers (technically I'm not a "former" homeschooler, since I'm homeschooling my 4-year-old in Kindergarten this year, but HE is a former homeschooler), you expect a certain amount of ... uncertainty from the system. You expect to be frowned upon for having bucked the system. You expect to be treated, maybe, as a little bit of a leper.
I'm pleased to say that has not been our experience in even the slightest of ways, and Q's school has been amazing at helping him with the transition, getting him services for his special needs, and keeping me in the loop as to the goings-on.
I got just such an updating phone call from the school social worker today. She called primarily to discuss options for deterring persistent chewing behavior, but also took the time to chat with me about his transition process. She told me how much she adores him, what an amazing, awesome little boy he is, and what a fantastic job we have done parenting and teaching him. Now it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn here a little, maybe, but you have to know that over the past 7 years, I (and my husband, but mostly I) have done so much questioning, second-guessing, and self-criticizing. I have rarely felt I was the parent I wanted to be, I constantly re-evaluated my approach to parenting and learning, to discipline and health, to social activity and psychology. Even having him evaluated for an autism spectrum disorder (Asperger's) was a huge question mark for us right up until we did it. So to have someone who sees children day in and day out, who is a professional, who is objective, who has no reason to spare my feelings or stoke my ego, to have someone like that all but rave about how wonderful my child is and give me the credit. Well, it did my heart good and put a very nice exclamation point on my day.
The other nice thing to happen was that school pictures came home. I DEFY you to look at this face and not smile.
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