I always had a feeling Ethan’s place in school was not the “norm” but every year I would ask, “do you want to be homeschooled this year”? and the answer was always no. I kept a close eye on my boy and his progress and as long as he was happy, confident, and doing well in school I didn’t push it. He loved the social aspect of school and until 9th grade it was a breeze for him.
Ethan is a wealth of knowledge. He knows a little bit about everything and some things he knows a lot about! This was to his advantage until the workload of high school hit him hard. In elementary school and middle school Ethan never had any homework; he did all his work in school because he zipped through it all like a squirrel gathering nuts. He got good grades and had great remarks from his teachers. He may have talked a little too much but he always brought such a dynamic and interesting conversation to his classes that his teachers liked his input.
In 8th grade I noticed a few potholes in his road and I kept a real close eye. I noticed he was struggling with executive functioning skills and not enjoying (physically struggling with) the large amount of time spent on the computer. I decided to bring him to get tested to see if I can understand how his particular brain worked. I was just hoping to find some strategies to help him be more organized, manage his time better, and turn things in. The tests then concluded he was a hair away from the infamous ADHD diagnosis. She didn’t diagnosis as she said he just wasn’t quite there. However, if life became stressful or a traumatic situation occurs you may see him jump over the line. Ok GreaAT! thanks..
In February of 2018 I shut the door on public education for my boy, never to go back (unless they realize their mistakes and fix them). His grades continued to plummet and he experienced a few “traumas”. I quote the word “trauma” because we are Americans and our life is pretty easy compared to a majority of the world. I took him to a different doctor and did receive the diagnosis of ADHD. I felt the IEP’S and 504’s are basically bullshit and it was time to say goodbye to general public education. It was him this time that decided it was time to go. He outgrew his place at public school and I was happy to help him fly elsewhere. It’s true when one door closes another opens. But sometimes shutting that door with total faith that it’s going to be ok is truly a hard thing to do. But sometimes having faith is all we got..
Just for the record he was in a wonderful school system, my old school system actually which had improved a lot since I left in 1996. He had some amazing teachers which he and I adored but he just outgrew it quicker than most. There are days when I sure do wish we just ran with the crowd but mostly it’s way more fun to have your own path. There are days when I wish I was just heading 15 minutes to my old, quiet,comfortable high school to attend an open house, a parent teacher conference, or some type of athletic event. Instead i get to get on a plane and discover some amazing parts of this country all the while Ethan’s soul is growing like a redwood and so in turn mine is too! All because I chose to shut that door. Although; after shutting the door some of the hardest things I have ever done physically, emotionally, mentally took place and it was SCARY but pretty amazing all in the same. Fear is such a beast. I’ll get to that another day.