You are your child’s advocate. You know your child best. It’s been said that parents are not given a “handbook” or directions when their child comes into your life. I disagree. I would argue that you did get a guidebook, you did get directions. I call it “the parent gut.”
Your parent gut tells you something isn’t “right.” Your parent gut tells you something is “off.” Your parent gut reminds you that it’s okay that you and your child need help. It’s okay to ask for help. Your parent gut also reminds you how wonderful and special your child is. Your parent gut will reassure you that everyone has unique gifts.
Your child has unique gifts and “different” doesn't always mean “broken” or needs to be “fixed.” I believe that every child is born with unique gifts and these gifts give them a unique purpose. As parents, we need to help our children nurture, develop and grow into that purpose. We do this by listening to that “parent gut.” Our parent gut gives us directions to help guide our children. Here are things you can do today to help you identify your child’s needs:
- Listen and trust your parent gut
- Ask for help
- Research ideas
- Keep asking why
- Keep being curious
- Make decisions that are best for you and your child
- Make decisions that answer the questions you're asking
Remember, your child’s teachers can help. Teachers are trained to collect data and information of what skills your child can or cannot do. And teachers can make modifications and accommodations needed to help develop your child’s skills, so they can succeed in school. They can help you look at this data to help validate your parent gut which tells you that your child needs additional support and services. Teachers are trained to ask why. They dive into why something isn’t working. Why the teaching method, how it’s delivered, or the learning environment is not working. So, ask for your child’s teacher’s help.
Being a parent is hard. Being a parent of a child with special needs is even harder. So, it takes a lot of listening to your child and your parent gut to make sure you know what your child needs to be successful. Be curious and ask questions; it will help you make better decisions for your child. Parenting is a lot of making decisions when you don’t really know if that decision is right or will have further consequences. I like to think of it as sailing a boat, sometimes without a rudder, sometimes in the middle of the night, without lights. Every parent and teacher would do anything to bring that child to a safe shoreline. So listen to yourself, your child, and your child’s teacher to find the best way to help your child succeed.
For more tips on how you can help support your child’s vision this school year, visit WhosLearningNow.com and be sure to join our Facebook Group for more in depth conversation on this topic and more!