The Value of the term "Never Give Up"

Believing in your child is paramount. Your kid has enough peer pressure, difficult school assignments, and other outside influences that drag down his self esteem, that he must know at all costs that you know he can do it (it being succeed).

My son has struggled with school for valid reasons. He has a number of very small disabilities that all add up to having to work harder in order to achieve the high results that come naturally (or easier) to others.

He is an easily frustrated kid and wanted to give up many a time. Heck, he did give up many a time. We spent MANY a night with him throwing a fit over insisting he complete his homework.

I am going to go into detail here about the steps we took, but first let me say that being a parent is the full time job. It ain't easy, it ain't always fun. Sometimes I cry. But, more times I revel with pride and with joy over his accomplishments. For many years my husband and I would quietly say to one another "the world needs ditch diggers, too." All the while telling him that we know he is brilliant (and he is, and we have proof because the schools have tested the heck out of him because of his disabilities). He is smart enough to rule the world. He just has to work so much harder to prove it.

AS A NOTE: Our son is on an IEP (Individualized Education Program) due to his vision and fine motor skill disorders (dygraphia and Camptodactyly. He also has ADD.

So, here is what we did on a REGULAR basis.

1. Check the online homework hotline put out by his school to see his assignments. AND HIS MISSING ASSIGNMENTS. (He did those missing assignments whether or not he got credit for them).

2. He missed getting free time on the weekends, or whenever in order to do them. (THIS IS A FIGHT - BUT SO WHAT!!)

3. We have the email addresses of ALL his teachers. We email them to ask if there is anything we can do to support our son OR THE TEACHER. We want the teachers to know we are "involved" parents and that we insist on our son being as successful as possible.

4. We requested teacher conferences. We explain our child's disabilities so they would know his struggles. Many of them see him as so smart and such a class participant they don't realize how hard he struggles.

5. We dealt with his tantrums - his yelling at us to leave him alone. We got frustrated we got discouraged - we dealt with it!

SIDEBAR: Imagine how much easier it might be for a parent of a child who does not face physical challenges to step up to the plate and be successful.

Please understand - we have had to do these same things OVER AND OVER oh and OVER since he was in 6th grade.

Our son is now a Junior in high school. He has a 3.17 GPA and he is DOING IT ON HIS OWN. It took years and years of constant telling him that we will accept nothing less than the best he has to offer. We give our best, we expect his best.

YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!!!!

Our son has been awarded two leadership opportunities this year - BIG ONES!! He was awarded the American Legion Scholarship to the "Boys State Program" in Sacramento, CA. This is highly competitive!! The selection process states "Only boys with outstanding qualities of leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service to their schools and community should be considered." He will be going for an entire week with other Jr. boys to learn about government. I could go on and on about this program - but I won't - but the opportunities that will arise out of this camp will be immeasurable.

He also was awarded a camp leadership training position for the YMCA camp program. 3 weeks of mentoring and learning and growing!! This also will be an amazing opportunity for him.

I have seen too many parents who just give and give and then just GIVE UP!!

We never gave up. We never will! He is too important. His future means EVERYTHING to us.

If we still had to fight the fight . . . WE WOULD. He deserves it. He is our child.

I used to say over and over in my head "someday this will all kick in . . . someday he will get it" Well . . . Someday has arrived ! It will arrive for you too. Please don't give up!