If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
I gained a new appreciation for my daughter this week. Tuesday evening was her parent-teacher conference. I was a little apprehensive. You see, up until this year she’s been receiving speech services at school. She tends to process information a little bit differently…not necessarily bad…but differently.
An example. In first grade her class had an assignment to take four pictures of a pumpkin and put them in order. There was a seed, a sprout, a vine with a little pumpkin that looked kind of misshapen, and a big pumpkin. And that’s the order you’d put them in, right? Not Liz. She put the small pumpkin after the big pumpkin. When I asked her why she put them in that order, she answered, “First is the seed, then the seed sprouts, then the pumpkin grows, and then the pumpkin rots.” And when I looked at it again, the pumpkin did indeed look like it was rotting.
At the end of last year, her speech therapist felt that her speech and processing were no longer affecting her schoolwork. So beginning this year, Liz’s fourth grade year, she is on her own. No IEP. Which means I have less control. Pretty scary for a control freak mom.
So yes, I was apprehensive walking into the parent teacher conference. I didn’t know what to expect. The teacher greeted us and told us what a joy it was to have Liz in her class. She told us that Liz was having a little trouble in math (not a surprise), but that she was excelling in all other subjects. She boasted about Liz’s writing. She told us how even the music teacher had given Liz an “S+”, when almost all students get an “S” in music.
She went on to tell us how self-disciplined Liz is. How she always buckles down and does her work. Liz is a responsible student, who has lots of friends. By the end of the conference, Liz was beaming. And I was too.
When I got home, I began to think about all the things the teacher had said. And I wondered why I hadn’t noticed them before. Liz is self-disciplined. She does work hard. She’s always singing. And she loves to write.
But sometimes I get bogged down in day to day life. Sometimes self-discipline looks like rigidity. Sometimes working hard on her latest writing project turns into a battle about whether or not she needs to pack it in for the night and go to sleep. And sometimes her music is…loud.
It’s all about perspective. And sometimes it’s good to hear someone else’s perspective on my daughter, so I can fully appreciate who my daughter really is….a hard worker, a writer, a musician. I’m glad I had the opportunity to see a picture of Liz through her teacher’s eyes.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
donetta says:
Wow, I needed to read this. My Daughter 10 in 3rd grade had her MET on thrur. I heard her to be just on the line learning disabled. No IEP but able to re visit it in the spring. I am so apprehensive about all of it. I am really trying to see her through her teachers eyes. He 6yr old brother who is hearing impaired is getting help but his IQ is off the charts high! I think that is a delta that makes my girl look worse than she even is. I am hoping for the best as well.
November 22nd, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Lynnae says:
Praying that it goes well for your daughter. This parenting thing is never easy, is it?
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:03 pm
stacey says:
it is sooo important to give children and parents as much, if not more, positive feedback as negative. even when our kids have struggles, they also have areas where they soar like eagles!!
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:54 am
Carol says:
Good for you, good for your daughter and good for my soul. Thanks
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:54 am
Carrie says:
Perspective is a beautiful thing!!! Sounds like Liz has a great teacher and a great school year going!!
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
An Ordinary Mom says:
Wow, what a well-written and thought provoking post! Life is all about perspective. Thanks for the reminder!
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Sarah @ Real Life says:
This is really great, Lynnae! Sometimes it takes someone else telling us how great our kids are. I’m going to try to intentionally look for their great qualities. Thanks for the inspiration.
November 25th, 2007 at 7:17 am
Kim says:
What a wonderful experience to have. It is nice to hear what others have to say about our kids. Our own opinions can become clouded in the hassle of the day to day life. I am glad to hear Liz is doing so well in school this year. Good for her!
November 25th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Monica says:
Isn’t it great when others can see great things in your children? You have every reason to be proud!!
I, too, have a little girl with auditory processing issues. It is frustrating and exhausting at times to try to explain things at least 3 different ways so she will understand. But we’re getting there:)
November 26th, 2007 at 4:13 am
Rebekah says:
My oldest son has hearing issues and still has an IEP. The IEP has helped me learn a lot about the school process, which I am glad for. His little quirks are very aggravating to me some days. All his teachers love him. I totally understand where you are coming from. Its nice to hear from his teachers.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:04 am
Deb - Mom of 3 Girls says:
I agree that perspective is so important! It’s so easy to get bogged down in the mundane and the stresses of life that you forget the joys and wonder. I’ve been struggling with our oldest daughter’s social problems and tend to overlook the things that she does so well. I loved reading this post!
November 26th, 2007 at 10:33 am
The Mothers and Daughters Blog Carnival is Up! | From Under the Clutter says:
[…] Mothers and Daughters Blog Carnival has been posted at Real Life! I submitted my post Parent Teacher Conferences, My Daughter, and a New Perspective. There are lots of other great posts about mothers and daughters, […]
November 26th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Jennifer Partin says:
I am so glad that the Parent Teacher conference gave you a new perspective. Liz sounds like a great kid.
Like mother, like daughter—-right? 
November 26th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
childlife says:
Ok, I when read the part about the pumpkin series, I was thinking to myself, “Wow, that is one sharp kiddo.” I think you’ve just got a really creative little girl there… way to go Liz! : )
November 26th, 2007 at 9:52 pm