I’m Proud of My Girl

I’m really proud of my girl. 


She has had a tough go of it ever since we had her assessed last summer and learned just how far behind she was in school.  A fact which was only made more glaringly aware once she started at her new school.  To say that our girl had thrown her teachers for a complete loop is a mild understatement.  From venting her extreme frustrating with change by getting in their face and yelling to downright tears and shut downs. 


Once we had a firm diagnosis of ADD and began a low dose of medication we saw big changes in her.  While she still gets frustrated and teary when she’s tired, she has become much more easier to manage.  Even the school has noticed a big improvement.  Finally Emma can focus on learning.  While I don’t necessarily agree that Emma completely falls into the ADD category, I do think she may be on the low end of the scale. 


Still, life hasn’t been easy.  What with starting at a new school, taking extra classes 3 times a week after school, attending learning support in school she’s been made to realize rather forcibly just how far she is behind her peers.  Add to that the fact everyone is throwing around the term “learning disability” and she pretty much feels like a freak no matter how much we tell her it’s normal and everyone learns different.


While I hurt for my baby and ache for the tough time she is going through, I can appreciate that she is learning some really good life lessons here.  After all, I don’t ever remember being in a situation where my mom has had to say to me “sweetie, this is just the way it’s going to be and there is no point in whining about it”.  Thank goodness she got it because really the last four months would have been hell if I had to have listened to her whine about going to tutoring after school 3 days a week.


With a lot of effort and hard work my girl has managed to go from reading at practically a kindergarden level to almost reading at her grade three level.  In fact, I think she’s reading even better than her own teachers realize.  By the time Christmas break had arrived my poor girl had had about enough schooling.  Give her two weeks Christmas break though and she’s back to her normal cheerful self and reading up a storm.


I’m so proud of her.  She has accomplished so much this year.  She still has a tough road because let’s face it, learning disabilities don’t disappear overnight and while the reading is coming along beautifully the writing isn’t. 


She will get it though because even though there are days that she feels like giving up, that it’s all just too much and that she can’t do it… underneath it all she is determined that she will get it, that she will do it. 


Enough to make a mama’s heart swell with pride. 

That’s my girl!