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[Lou]

Please can someone share something encouraging? Let me explain our situation.

We have a 16 y/o son who has always had learning challenges. We've taken him and there for help. Someone always has a new name and a new solution, which ends up not solving his learning issues and costing us alot of $$$$. We are happy to spend the money, but we'd really like to see more success. He's frustrated and we're frustrated.

We've homeschooled him up till now. This last year was just a miserable failure. We're putting him in a private christian school this coming year. They say they're willing to work with him. Allow him extra time to finish tests, have things read out loud to him if needed, provide tutoring, etc.

We've prayed about the private school and feel this is from the Lord. But, I really would love to hear some encouraging stories that I can share with him. He is a good boy and will honor us and go to the school. But he is feeling so frustrated at this point, he'd just like to drop out of school altogether. The shame of it all, is that he is really a bright kid!

Anyone out there with some encouraging, been there/done that stories to encourage us? Thanks in advance!

[prairielady]

Hi Lou,
My son didn't have learning disabilities, per se, but he did present an extreme challenge to educate. He was soooo hyper, but we didn't want to put him on Ritalin or anything like that (at the risk of my sanity we made that choice, lol! ). He started out in public school and was always in trouble because he couldn't sit still and when forced to, his mouth ran where his feet didn't . Around the 3rd grade we began to homeschool, and while my girls would do their work, I had to constantly be correcting my son's behavior, his disrupting the girls, the perpetual motion he seemed to be in, and I wondered if he was ever going to get anything out of the education we were trying to give him. Math was a particular nemesis of his, and whenever it was time to do any, I'd have to send him to run laps around the house before and after we were done, and even with that he still did everything he could to get out of it (and any writing past his name and the date). He had such a weakness in some areas of his learning that I was concerned, however to make a really long story short, we graduated him eventually (I was all for doing it by fifth grade, my dear husband suggested sticking it out until the end of high school - j/k!!) and he joined the Navy. Guess what? He had to take a class after basic training that required him to know advanced algebra to pass (uh oh). He did pass and was awarded a certificate for passing with a 94% (high score in the class). I asked him why he didn't do that good at home. His answer? "This was fun!" Gee, thanks son....hehehehee! What I guess I'm trying to say is that the Lord knows what we are capable of, He knows what our children are capable of, and in between He fills in allllll the spaces. The Lord knows what He wants our kids to do for Him in life, and will equip them accordingly. There is more than one way to 'tweak' your curriculum if you choose to homeschool or if you choose to use a Christian school I'm sure they will work with you, and having your child set some goals is of importance. If he has direction and desire (as my son did in his Navy class), school will not be so overwhelming for him or for you.
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"If the Lord leads you to it, He will get you through it."

[Guest]

I can't thank you enough for your encouraging story! I really needed to hear it!

[Lou]

I guess I must have forgotten to sign in , that 'guest' was me!

Anyway, thanks again!

[prairielady]

hehee! I kind of guessed it was you, Lou I also meant to suggest to you that if there is a group that specializes in your son's particular challenges, you might get a hold of them and visit with some of those moms to see how they overcame in some of the 'toughie' areas, perhaps they have some good ideas.
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"If the Lord leads you to it, He will get you through it."