{"id":2038,"date":"2014-12-27T04:17:02","date_gmt":"2014-12-27T11:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/\/?p=2038"},"modified":"2015-07-06T10:52:41","modified_gmt":"2015-07-06T16:52:41","slug":"my-child-is-behind-in-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/my-child-is-behind-in-school\/","title":{"rendered":"My Child is Behind in School"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hand-644145_1280\"Question:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I put my son James in public school for a short time and the teacher said he was \u201cbehind\u201d.\u00a0 I was so upset, I cried for days!\u00a0 You said he is so young, I shouldn\u2019t worry.\u00a0 At what point should I worry?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Answer:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

At what point should you worry?<\/p>\n

NEVER!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just pray and do your very best.\u00a0 Children have their own growth path, their own maturation process.\u00a0 Assisting them to learn what they are interested in, and providing fun ways to learn the things they have no interest in, but that are necessary life skills\u2014is the best any mortal can do, including any public school teacher.\u00a0 You are their very best teacher!\u00a0<\/strong> Your methods may vary, and you may explore and try new ones, but basically, it is YOU\u2014 your love, your caring concern, your energy to help them pursue their interests\u2014 not the academics, that makes a good education.<\/p>\n

Your child is not \u201cbehind\u201d or \u201cahead\u201d.\u00a0 He is James.\u00a0 Period.\u00a0 With all his varying skills and abilities\u2014some areas higher and some areas lower than the \u201cnorm\u201d (which doesn\u2019t exist, of course).<\/p>\n

I am so sorry that you felt bad and cried about the teacher\u2019s opinion.\u00a0 James is who he is.<\/strong> I wish you could see how it will work out\u2014that James will grow up to become his own phenomenal person!<\/p>\n

I think we underestimate the divine nature in our children.\u00a0 They are progressing, opening like a blooming flower.\u00a0 And their potential and final intelligence level is really not up to us, just as we cannot determine what color a blossoming flower will be.\u00a0 We can assist, or retard their blooming efforts, but we can\u2019t determine their talents, ability or intelligence level.<\/p>\n

\"forge-550622_1280\"Make sure he has religious training. That is the biggest factor, because as kids get to be teens, their respect for God, and for you and others will make a huge difference.\u00a0 Next, make sure he has the basics:\u00a0 reading, writing and math\u2014according to his time table\u2014don\u2019t put expectations on him to go faster, to be something he is not.\u00a0\u00a0 Make it fun, as I know you try to do!\u00a0 Help him:\u00a0 be his best aid in pursuing his interests.\u00a0 Get books at the library, buy kits, find DVDs, travel with him, take him to science fairs, seek out mentors like the blacksmith at the county fair, that can answer his questions.\u00a0 Kids are hungry to learn things that interest them. Feed him as fast as he can take it.\u00a0 And don\u2019t force feed him too much stuff that he has no interest in.<\/p>\n

I used to stress, too. I think it is because I had the mistaken idea that I was the creator.\u00a0 That how my children turned out\u00a0 intelligence-wise, talent-wise was entirely up to me, somehow. I know that if you keep homeschooling the best you can, and you keep him out of public school and make sure he has religious training, you will be calling me in ten years to tell me what a fabulous, smart, achieving, amazing son James is.<\/p>\n

Breathe deep.<\/em>\u00a0 He is God\u2019s child first, yours second.\u00a0 Do your best, and you\u2019ll be amazed with the results!
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May I recommend:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\"IMG_9315\"
\nPublic School or Homeschool?
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\"Photoxpress_2054643-150x150\"
\nKeep on Schedule or Let ’em Fly?
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\"12808\"
\nFor the Love of Learning
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: I put my son James in public school for a short time and the teacher said he was \u201cbehind\u201d.\u00a0 I was so upset, I cried for days!\u00a0 You said he is so young, I shouldn\u2019t worry.\u00a0 At what point should I worry? Answer: At what point should you worry? NEVER! Just pray and do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14,3],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-2038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homeschooling-concerns","category-how-to-homeschool","tag-behind-in-school","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/hand-644145_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C853&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6IrRN-wS","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":711,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/test-or-not-test\/","url_meta":{"origin":2038,"position":0},"title":"To Test or Not To Test? That is the Question","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"TEST! That one word can strike terror in the hearts of kids and moms alike. What is a test for? Should testing be a part of homeschooling? Are the scores accurate? Do my children need outside testing by the school district to determine their grade level and their weaknesses and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Concerns"","block_context":{"text":"Concerns","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/homeschooling-concerns\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"teepee2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/teepee2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":580,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/why-homeschool\/","url_meta":{"origin":2038,"position":1},"title":"Why Did You Decide to Homeschool?","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Why did you decide to homeschool? 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We stay very busy running here and there so he can be with other children. Even still, at times, there is some isolation and I wonder if it is the ideal choice for him? \u00a0Which is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nurturing"","block_context":{"text":"Nurturing","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/why-homeschool\/nurturing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/IMG_93151.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/IMG_93151.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/IMG_93151.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1075,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/restless-little-boy\/","url_meta":{"origin":2038,"position":3},"title":"What to Do with a Restless Little Boy?","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"I find it a rather interesting fact that 80% of all homeschooled children are boys. 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Do you have any thoughts or suggestions on what I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Concerns"","block_context":{"text":"Concerns","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/homeschooling-concerns\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/3kidsonarock.jpg?fit=373%2C280&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2046,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/self-esteem\/","url_meta":{"origin":2038,"position":5},"title":"A Child\u2019s Self-Confidence: Handle with Care","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Jennifer, a mom who reads my blog, wrote about what happened to her little boy: My middle child went to kindergarten last year at what was supposed to the best public school in the best school district in Kansas, which is one of the top states in the country. 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