Hi Everyone,
I have a son that just turned 8 that I will be homeschooling next year. He has ADD, CAPD, and dyslexia. He has a hard time learning due to these conditions and it’s very difficult to teach him. Here is my problem:
I have spent most of my son’s life being very ill with a chronic condition. I have never been able to spend much time doing the things most parents do to enrich their children’s lives, especially in the early years. Things like reading, going to museums, doing crafts, and exposure to different things. Unfortunately, he spent a lot of time parked in front of the TV or just playing with toys. Now my health is much, much better and I’m wondering what can I do now to help him at this late date. He has missed out on a lot of things and I’d like to know what I can do to make this up the time we missed—that is, if he’s not too old to make up for lost time. I’d love to hear any suggestions or advice and thank you in advance.
Andrea
Re: What Should I Do With My Son?
Glad to hear that you are doing better. That alone will help your son tremendously!
A few ideas come to mind on some ways you can help him. You can encourage him to invite friends over for playdates. This will help him socially and he can learn about new types of age-appropriate activities and gain social skills from interacting with the kids who come over.
Another thing you can do is sign him up for cub scouts. He’ll have scout activities outside the home such as meetings, field trips, hikes, the Pinewood Derby, etc. Also there are a lot of activities that parents do with the boys to help them earn their badges. In addition, the boys can pursue their interests while earning belt loops (and activities pins when they become Webelos).
On the academic side, things like reading to him at bedtime and helping him with homework will help a lot. If finances allow it, you may want to seek out tutoring for reading too.
Above all, just enjoy his company and the time you spend with him.
LJ
It’s not too late to begin doing those things with your son. 8 is not such a ripe old age that he wouldn’t be interested in going to museums or crafts or anything else that appeals to the two of you. Activities are always helpful to any child with or without learning issues. Time spent together in this too busy world is valuable regardless of how you spend it.
Will he allow you to read outloud to him? You could get books on tape and listen to them while you drive. You can watch films together. They are still good films for children to be found. Both of these offer language stimulation. Even if he likes tv after having watched it for these years, there are some good shows on television that you could watch together. There are great science shows and children’s shows like Beekman that many children find interesting.
I think you’ll find plenty to do and all of it will be of value to your son.