Home | The Birds and The Bees…With a Heaping Helping of Testicles »
A Boy and His Blog
By mel | February 22, 2007
I need to ask a tiny blogland favor. I have started a blog for The Boy. Yeah? So? I need to solicit some comments from any kind souls who can spare a minute or two. Some background on The Boy….
The Boy has Sensory Integration Dysfunction. It seems to have gotten much milder as of late….it was much worse as a newborn, infant, and toddler. When The Boy started school, he hated it from the minute he started. HA. TED. IT. We managed Kindergarten. First grade was worse. Second grade worse than that. Third grade was unbearable. Starting in first grade, homework took hours. HOURS. Sometime 4-5 hours to finish 30 minutes worth of work. There was crying, screaming, hiding under the table, and wailing from The Boy. Pleading, cajoling, bribing, rewarding, and crying from myself. The nightly battle consumed our lives. We always thought it was due to the SID. This year, as he began third grade, things really went downhill. He couldn’t keep up in class. He didn’t know cursive. He was failing spelling. He was miserable. He began acting out. He began to say “I’m stupid.” and “I suck at this!” At the end of our rope, we had him asessed. He was diagnosed with dysgraphia, processing and sequencing problems. Writing wasn’t just a pain to him, it was a huge battle. An uphill climb. We decided to homeschool. His hatred of school has clouded his love for learning. Since November, I have been trying to reclaim that. It has involved a lot of thinking outside the box. I was looking for a way to encourage him to write. Something that inspired him and sparked a desire. I came up with the blog idea and presented it to him. He was intrigued by the thought that people all over the world would read his words and see his pictures. He grinned at the prospect of someone he didn’t even know writing a response. And so we blogged. He composed the first post with not one complaint. I helped him make his thoughts clear…reminded him to use complete sentences…and encouraged him to keep on track. The next entry went the same way. Woot! Grammar, creative writing, and communications class all in one package! As of now, I am typing, while he dictates. (He is learning to type). Today I had him type the first two sentences himself. He painstakingly searched out the letters…losing his train of thought and forgetting his sentence at each new word. It was a struggle. He resisted and complained…there were almost tears, but he did it. The first two sentences on his own! Baby steps. The words are his and are awaiting an audience. A word of encouragement. A connection. I am asking anyone who loves nine year old creative writing to take a peek and leave a little hello. It sounds so overly dramatic, but your brief comment really will make a difference in the self worth of a boy. A boy who really needs to feel like he can be good at this whole writing thing. So could you? Would you? Please pay him a visit?
Topics: Crossovers From My Other Blog, homeschool, blogging, The Boy |
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:53 am
What a great, creative way to work with your son. I left a comment there and was very impressed by his post. Awesome, really.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I really enjoyed his posts! And I greatly admire your dedication to finding a way to help him learn. M+E+L = Two thumbs up!
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:21 pm
I shall - I just commented twice on your old blog. Doh.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Hello,
Sister of Nutty Mummy and also a home educator. Looking forward to reading your blog; i also have a daughter with Sensory Integration issues and Aspergers. Home education is a fantastic way of managing her world and letting her be creative in ways that she can manage.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:23 am
Found your blog randomly while looking for my friend’s blog, and then read your son’s. I think blogging will be a great way for him to learn to enjoy writing, corresponding with other people, and expressing himself. Great idea! I wish you guys luck with homeschooling.
e
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:10 am
Wow. You are such a great Mom. My son Simon was diagnosed with SID at 21 months. He is now 4 and what a ride it has been. I am so interested in what the future may bring for my son so automatically I am a fan of both you and your son’s sites. What a GREAT idea to encourage writing for him. Wow! I’m still in awe. I’m off to your son’s site right now.
February 24th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Hello! Wow! does your son’s story hit close to home for me. I have a ds who is in third grade with the same disorder. I can understand how you felt frustrated with the long hours ( with distractions) of homework that would take most other kids 20 or 30 minutes.
The blog idea is great. We did a website for ds.
I wish you all so much luck!
March 28th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Hi there, Am new to your blog, but I’ve read a couple of posts about ‘the boy’. This one, and the more recent one about him visiting the psychologist and possibly having Asperger’s. It struck a chord with me as my son is also currently going to a psychologist. Not quite the same thing as your son I don’t think but I can relate because it’s very frustrating to have any problems with your kids.
I’ll pay his blog a visit. I think it’s a great idea and should help him gain more confidence.
August 20th, 2007 at 1:38 am
Hiya! I visited his blog and I think it’s great. Good for you, for encouraging this way to express himself. And good for him coming up with all those questions. I also have a little boy whose behaviors encourage medical professionals to toss around words that start with “A”.
His blog is here: http://bennimus.blogspot.com.
Oh, and I’m enjoying *your* blog too, by the way. Hehehe.