Just Want to Share Some News

So, my youngest girl is in Kindergarten. She is 5 years old and has global developmental delays. It is suspected that she may have some learning disabilities. She's been in school for almost 3 years now (2 in pre-k and this year in Kindergarten). She receives speech and language therapy, as well as occupational therapy. When it comes to her speech, her intelligibility rate during a conversation if the context is not known is only about 25%. That means if she's starts a conversation with you and you don't know the subject, you'll only understand about 25% of what she says. I share all this information so it can be understood just how amazing the news I'm about to share is. My daughter received an Acheivers award this morning. It's not honor roll but it's an award only given to students who made a huge effort during the quarter. Kindergarten grading is done on a numbers scale, 1-4. My daughter has had 1's the first 2 quarters. Well, during the 3rd quarter, she worked so hard she brought all of her 1's up to 2's and even got a 3 in math!!! (a three is what most children who are working on grade level gets). I am so excited and happy for her. She has a lot of struggles but receiving this award really gave her a boost of confidence and showed her that hard work really does pay off. 

I feel the need to share this on CM because my family doesn't understand how exciting this is. We are a family of over achievers. I personally got straight A's up until college where I got  a B in Advanced Biology (the only grade I ever got that wasn't an A) so my family expects my children to be the same. Well, Zajanah will never be a straight A student but I accept that about her. She worked so hard to bring her grades up and I couldn't be more happy! My family feels like if it isn't honor roll then it isn't an achievement. I just wanted some other moms to recognize what an achievement this is for her.

Please keep it positive. I've gotten enough negativity from my family. Thank you!

 

[colins_mom]

thats great! good job to her!

[ilovemykids732]

Thats WONDERFUL for you and your daughter! You have made a bunch of moms cry tears of happiness this morning... :) Congrats to you and her! She needs to keep her chin and confidence up... she is AMAZING

[LilliesValley]

Awesome. That's major improvement and I'm glad the school recognizes her hard work.

[mom2many747]

It didn't come out harsh at all. I agree with you. The only thing I expect of her is the best she can do. If the best she can do is a C then I'll be proud of that C. All that's important is that she tries her hardest and is proud of her work :D 

Quoting IansMommy2012:

Instant tears!!! That's beautiful!! I'm so proud of her an you momma!! You may be surprised for her an "A" is prolly "C" but that is a wonderful achievement for someone with her disabilities :)
(I hope that didn't com out harsh!!) my apologies if it did I meant to be honest and nice!

[veraxaudeo]

I completely agree with her. Especially the part about your family being nuts.
Working hard and improving is much more of an accomplishment than simply maintaining a good grade.
Way to go, Zajanah!

Quoting GwenMB:

That is wonderful!  What a hard worker she is!  Being a hard worker is more important than getting straight A's, IMO.  Too many smart people get good grades w/o much effort & don't know how to really work for something.  Your daughter already know how to work for things & that will really help her as she grows.  You should be very proud of her!

Your family is nuts to not recognize what an awesome acheivement this is for your DD.

[TwilightMom815]

woot u go girl & u go mom! From a mom with a son who once had severe autism (non-verbal) and now is kindergarden and talkign in sentences (lots of therapy since he was 2 and half) I completely understand family not getting it, i also know all awards and progress is a huge celebration! keep up the great work!

[MamaMoopsie]

That is really awesome!!!! I think you need a pat on the back, too. You love your daughter despite the struggles she'll deal with academically. You accept that about her, but you've also obviously given her a good, solid foundation and the desire to work hard. Both of you are to be commended!

 

[Eliots_momma]

She is a beautiful little girl!

That is really amazing and she should be so proud of herself. You should be beaming momma! Working hard is a better achievement than straight A's. You should do something special to celebrate!

[Lorena]

That is so amazing. I understand fully what an achievement that is for you and your little girl. Congrats on all her hard work!

[specialwingz]

Awww, congratulations  all the way around!  I certainly know how you feel.  And, I get frustrated by people who think everyone should be a straight A student.  I do believe in pushing kids to do better.  Because we all know they will tend to slack if we don't stay on them.  I raised 4 of them.  All different in school.  LOL.  But, that having been said, we, as parents, should also be tuned to our children's limitations.  If we push too far beyond those limitations, we set them up for failure.

Again, I'm NOT saying not to help our kids strive for better.  But, know the limitations and be realistic about them.

I get bashed a lot when I say this.  Because too many people think it means I don't have very high expectations of my kids.  They couldn't be further from the truth.  I certainly KNOW what my kids can do.  And, when they don't, THAT'S when the push comes in.

My oldest girl is a titanium implant specialist.  She teaches oral surgeons how to install the indidvidual implants (not the plug-n-go plates as she calls them, lol).  My younger dd is a special education teacher.  My twin boys have ADHD/Asperger's Syndrome.  They are in college and still living here at home.  So, you can see, I've had my challenges that come along with theirs.

The boys did 2 years of pre-k and then kindergarten, too.  They were 6 when the went to K.  It was the best decision I ever made.  That extra year made a huge difference in their develomental and social skills.

The road ahead of you may seem long.  And, you will have speed bumps and road blocks along the way.  But, you will get through it with her.  And then you will be just like me.  Looking back wondering where all the time went and looking at her in amazement at the woman she has grown to be.  =)