BEING A MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH DYSLEXIA

There is an abundance of research that shows that being the mother of a child with dyslexia makes her one of the best advocates for her child’s learning success.

It is the mother that is the first to detect that something isn’t right, and they spot problems early on. It is the mother that tries to find a solution to the learning problem, and it is the mother who provides the lion’s share of practical and emotional support when she helps her children reach their goals.

As this Sunday is Mother’s Day we would like to celebrate mothers with 10 things you should know about a mother who has a child with learning differences:

1.     UNDERSTANDS THE STRUGGLE!

The struggle is real, and it is usually centred around homework and the amount of time and effort required to get it done. This is usually the first indicator that something is wrong, and it usually takes a fearless mother to talk to the teacher about what is happening at home.

2.     DOES WHATEVER IT TAKES

A mother will do whatever it takes to get their child to school. Sometimes this can be tough because a lot of our kids just hate school. So, Mums will make sure they are packed and ready and will do their best to prepare them for the hard knocks they will face in the day.

3.     AVID CHEERLEADER

They are the best cheerleaders for their kids and will be at their school plays, choir performances and at sports days. These are the days where they can shout out loud to support them. It seems these are the times our kids feel more like the rest of their peers. They will cheer every piece of hard work done regardless of the score; they know how hard it was to do.

4.     EXCELLENT RESEARCHER

Mums can find the best information for their kids to read. Researching things for projects can be tough because there is so much to read. So, Mums can swing into action and find the best resources for their child to focus their time on rather than read so much that is not necessary.

5.     GOOD CODE BREAKERS

Mums are usually the ones that can decode that miss-spelt word or decipher the handwriting to make out what their child is trying to say. They can also focus their child’s ideas and help to clarify them, making that book composition work better!

6.     GREAT READING BUDDIES

Reading is challenging and can be glacially slow for children with dyslexia. Some kids will never read fast enough to get through the content they need to in the available time. This is where mums swing into action and read to their children, helping them get through the content as fast as possible. When their child hears the text, they get to see and hear at the same time and it helps them to better retain the information.

7.     LEARNS WITH THEIR CHILD

To help their child understand concepts mothers often learn the curriculum with their child and become study buddies with them. They often learn the content so that they can help them revise and study. This is such a valuable exercise when preparing for exams!

8.     BELIEVES IN THEIR FUTURE

Parents want the best for their child, but it is the mother that believes in the path they want to take. Mums will investigate how this can be achieved and what needs to be done to get to their goals. She will place their child on the right path and remind their child about their goals and how they are achieving them.

9.     IS PATIENT

Many Mum memes would deny this, but a mother of a child with learning differences develops a lot of patience. They know what it takes to get things done, they understand the frustration their children feels and know that they must be patient to get things done.

10.   BECOME WARRIORS

The best advocate for a child with learning differences is their Mother! They learn what it takes to support their child, they study and take courses and they are the first to become knowledgeable about how to help their child. This knowledge is then passed on to whoever works with their child and they make partnerships with those people ensuring that together they can make a difference in the learning journey of their child.

There is much more a mother does to help their child through school and most of it is to help raise their self-esteem to make them feel good about who they are and what they do. Mothers need to be celebrated they need to be revered for their effort in supporting their children with dyslexia!

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By Deborah Hewes
Assistant Director of Publicity and Publications