So many times without realizing it, you think you can do it all on your own. I have worked hard with my youngest son with his reading, I have done all that I can do with getting teachers involved, they are doing their best. But there is still a struggle. Reading is so important, I don’t want him feeling like he is always “behind”. So Grandma and Grandpa gave us a gift certificate to a popular learning center to have the additional help he needs. Somewhere deep inside me, I feel like a failure, that I did not do enough when I should have. I guess I could be totally honest and say I don’t think I read to him as much as I did my two older sons. Somethings you beat yourself up for afterwards.
Anyways, I JUST got off the phone. Made the apt for his skill assessment test, and I open up my email and see this:
Elisa said:
Laurel, you truly are a Godly Gal and I have to thank you officially by giving you an internet bouquet of a Godly Gal Stamp.
Can I tell you how much YOU GUYS bless me. I know it is a God thing, you don’t know all the specifics going on in my life, I really had not talked about youngest sons reading. But it is like God giving me an affirmation saying,”hey it is going to be ok”.
Choaked with tears I say…thank you.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
My heart goes out to you in the struggle you are facing. I can totally relate wondering if I’ve done enough, am doing enough, or missing something. Hang in there!!!
As this comes to mind I will be praying for you, lifting you and the dear boy to the throne of our Heavenly Father!
Bless you friend!
I love how God knows just what we need when we need it. Congrats for the honor LW.
I felt the same way for my son. He began praying that God “would help him to read big words.” Then all of the sudden, it clicked for him and he’s reading well on his own. God had his own time for my son’s reading. Your son’s click time will come in its own time.
I want to thank you for coming by my site to offer encouragement. This week has been rough for me too and I have felt lifted up by your positive words.
I feel like God is working his way in my situation and helping me to see things more clearly through the eyes of fellow bloggers. Additionally, since I posted my Crazy Hip Mama carnival post, my pastor gave a sermon on using the SOAPY method for self-feeding for spiritual growth. I am trying to use that method to continue to grow. I also spoke to my life group leaders and they are thrilled that I want to bring a Bible verse. My first “Scripture Section” will be this Friday. The topic is God calling us as parents to train our children.
Thanks again and I will be lifting you up in my prayers.
Jennifer
You are most deserving! (and hey, I feel like I fail more often than not, I hate to admit it but I do).
Girl, you’re filling up your sidebar with these well deserved blessings. Good for you. I can’t think of anyone more worthy.
What a nice thing for the grandparents to do. I think it just takes a while for it click sometimes but I’ll bet he’s going to be just fine. There’s not one reason to think he won’t.
Congrats on the honor!
I don’t think you should feel like a failure one bit. You are paying attention to your child and getting him the help he needs. You should be commended for that!
Someone told me last night, “You can’t have ALL the spiritual gifts!” and I think that wisdom sortof carries over to “You can’t have ALL the educational skills!”
Peace.
I completely understand the failure thing. This year we had our 5 year old diagnosed with ADHD…what a letdown. Here I was thinking he was just being obstinant and refusing to learn things and just not trying…I went so far as to spank him (boy did I feel like a TERRIBLE mother at that point)…then we take the tests for ADHD, realize we’ve been talking this subject over with his pediatrician for 3 years…and figure out he does have a problem. About a month after this diagnose and unfortunately medication, my 5 year old has almost accomplished all goals we had set for ourselves to teach him over the past two years. How little I felt and how much I realized I wasn’t the one in charge…Good luck. I pray this will be a rewarding experience for you. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for your encouraging comment on my post about my brother in The Prayer Room. I deeply appreciated it!
Hey…thanks for stopping by my thankful thurs. Listen, every kid is different and just because a child may struggle with an area of growth, does not, by any stretch of the imagination, mean that you are not a good parent! We all wonder if we are doing enough, but let me encourage you…God is the perfect parent and He knows what our kids need even better than we do! You very obviously love your family, and God is pleased with that! There’s nothing to beat yourself up over. Praise God for His provision, help, and perfect timing!
~Mariah~
Isn’t God good to know just what we need and what will lift us up! Very much deserved Laurel!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog earlier today. I’ll lift this up in prayer for you….Eileen.
I am so glad that little bouquet came your way today. You most definitely deserve it. Don’t feel bad about your son’s reading. I am sure it isn’t anything you did or didn’t do. We’ll just pray that this works for him. It could be just the thing and then he will be reading like crazy!!
I am way behind on reading (and I was only gone one day) - so I’ll read your “Blast From the Past” post a little later. I did get to read the house story and had a little chuckle. It’s kind of like the time my daughter and I used the wrong restroom!!! Embarrassing beyond belief!! Oh - and thank you so much for linking to me. You are so sweet. I hope you sell lots and lots of stuff.
Those are some great grandparents!!! I understand your struggles. Hang in there, you have a lot of people praying for you and supporting you!
So, girlfriend, how was your date?????
Laurel,
I just got all choked up! Wonderful and congradulations to a beautiful woman.
You are a godly girl and a godly mom. Don’t feel like a failure. You’re doing the right thing getting help.
It often seems that the times we are most encouraged are the times we do the most encouraging.
We, too, had one non-reader. Just didn’t enjoy it and could never find a genre tempting enough to make the effort. Then one of his instructors commented that his opinion essay would make good copy for the school paper and helped him submit it. Now he has a weekly column and is reading and writing like crazy.
That is great that your son is getting an assessment because his learning style might need a particular approach.
And parents, not even moms, don’t have to know everything they just have to know where to look; think of the reference desk at the library.
I know you did a wonderful job with your youngest son — and he will be okay. Sometimes the reading skills are different in kids. It doesn’t mean that you didn’t do enough.
Congrats on the “God’s Gal Stamp” - you are and you are a blessing to many in the blogsphere.
Blessings on your Friday and always.
When my oldest son was younger, he was diagnosed with ADHD, and it was always a struggle to get teachers, counselors, doctors, and my ex to come to agreeable terms as to how to treat it. Luckily, those days are behind me now, but I remember so well how much the made me feel like a failure. So I can definitely relate!
But please don’t ever feel that way. You sound like an amazing mom (and daughter, from the comment you left on my website.), and you know you are doing all you can for your son. Things may be a struggle for a while, but they’ll eventually all fall into place. They always do.
Laurel, it’s crazy that we have so much in common. I was going to blog about this but haven’t had time. Jackson is seeing a reading tutor and I too, felt like a failure. Having read a zillion and one books to him I just assumed he would love it as much as I do. His old school never said one word about him having a problem but at this new school….good grief, it’s as though he’ll never catch up. He has a hard time decoding words and may even need a speech therapist. Apparently he didn’t get the right phonics lessons in first grade or something.
The reading tutor has been worth every cent. Sometimes it’s easier if someone from the outside comes in to help. He’s doing MUCH better–still not totally there but we just started this in the late fall.
So, even if you did read to him as much as your older sons, he could still just have a missing link to reading. I’m sure once they start working with him, he’ll be up to speed in no time.
Anyway, I’m so glad that Elisa honored you because you have been such a blessing to so many women.
Awww… this is too sweet!
Way to go, you deserve it!
Blessings!
First of all, I would bet you are far from a failure, Laurel Wreath! But I know we moms are so hard on ourselves sometimes…I sure can be.
What a sweet blessing to get that Godly Gal stamp…you totally deserve that!
Blessings!
I had a son who was having trouble reading and more than one person recommended Pathway Readers to me. He loved them so much he carried them everywhere. Now I’ve bought the whole series (they go through about 6th grade) and use them for all my elementary school age kids.
Laurel, I can see that I’m not the only one who thinks you are a blessing! I appreciate how you take the time to leave encouraging comments and your warm spirit shines through your blog.
You deserve this and lots and lots of other awards, Laurel!