As a mother, it can be a hard thing to do to admit that your child is struggling. Whether it’s an arbitrary decision on your part or something that is noted by professionals, it’s just something that gets our goat; our children are perfect and special, and for anybody to suggest that they are anything less is out of the question.
However, there are cases where, as parents, we do need to step in and make the right choices for them to lessen the struggling and stop it from getting out of control, or we risk making it worse.
Learning to Read
Most children struggle with their reading, but as time goes on certain kids can get stuck on one phase while others seem to skip miles ahead. It’s a hard thing to learn to do; don’t push them too much, else they’ll lose heart in it completely. The English language especially is ridiculous – if you think about the words rough, bough and cough and then think how we ever got to learning and thinking those words aloud in our head, it’s no wonder that younger generations are getting confused. If everything really is just not making sense to them and they are stuck on the same page (metaphorically) for a while, they could have dyslexia – it’s not an illness or a disease, and it doesn’t mean that their learning future is damned. It just means that they will require a different style of teaching to help them get to grips with something that is naturally going to be hard for them to learn. Take some time to sit with them and read together.
Checking the Eyes
It’s more of a fashion statement nowadays for adults to wear glasses, but you may find that your little person may need some extra help to see things clearly too. Check out the common causes of low vision; although rare, non-corrective eyesight can be something to look out for, and it’s better to know of the signs and symptoms earlier on. Look out for your child straining whilst watching television, not being able to pick out objects in the distance or having to hold their screen or tablet further away from their face than what is normal – the use of technology is not having a good effect on our eyes as it is, with conditions like dry eye and tension headaches on the increase, but it is highlighting these problems happening which is harder to do. Book in for appointments with an ophthalmologist/optician regularly to get your child used to the process of getting their eyes tested, and try to make it a positive experience for them.
Diet
As long as we provide a healthy diet for our children, with the right amount of nutrients and recommended portions of food, we are more unlikely to see them struggle with weight, fatigue and motivation issues. What we eat can impact us heavily, and with children especially – you are building them up now for their future. Choose wisely and make decisions that you know are good for the both of you!
