This is very true. As a mom with a son with some academic struggles, my hardest job as a parent was to balance helping him with allowing him to struggle through his academic work. I think I failed more than half the time and succeeded a few. He’ll be a senior next year and it’s very easy to look back over the years and see what I could have done better. I never had to do that with my first two sons who were gifted and ferociously independent. So my fears and confusion and just mere ignorance, led to me “learn on the job.” Being a parent with a child of special needs has forced me to grow in ways I never knew. So it goes to show—the challenge made me stronger. Each year I knew I had to let go more and more. It only has been harder. The pandemic compounded the problems.
But I appreciated this piece. It was a great reminder that I need to continuously give him enough of a challenge to keep him pushing forward and becoming better—in several aspects of his life. Thank you for this.