Hello!
Welcome! You can call me DJ. I am a mother of two girls still trying to figure parenting out one day at a time. I possess a deep love for reading that I hope I can encourage in my girls. About 6 years ago, my teenager was diagnosed as dyslexic. Angry and scared – that’s what I remember feeling. I did not and still do not have a vast amount of knowledge on the subject but I have learnt and continue to learn. My hope is that I can help someone out there who has struggled in a similar way.
MY STORY
Ever since I could remember, my favorite pastime has always been reading. I love getting caught up in a story and getting to know the characters. To this day I feel like I cannot watch a movie without reading the book first. I credit my mom for my love of reading, I learnt it by watching her. I always fantasized that my girls would develop the habit my looking at me. This did not happen.
When my firstborn, at the age of 8, was diagnosed with dyslexia, specifically phonemic awareness, I was baffled. At the same time it brought things to light for me. I started understanding why I couldn’t get her to read and why she dreaded it so much. I cried and lashed out for quite some time because I was not fully aware of what it meant or how I could fix it. I struggled and she struggled with me and because of me.
MY GOAL IS TO RAISE AWARENESS & ENCOURAGE THE LOVE OF READING
It was overwhelming not knowing how to start dealing with this issue. What really is dyslexia? How did my child end up with it? Why am I not more aware of this? The struggle was real. Is real. We still fight about reading, I still say stupid things sometimes. I am still learning so much about this.
But I would like to share my story in the hopes that it can help others that may struggle the same way as me. To create a safe environment to share thoughts and feelings.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this site is to continue to raise dyslexia awareness and to encourage perseverance to the whole village. I will also use this platform to share my love of reading and show how dyslexia does not have to keep this world of imagination away from our kids. I believe that kids are multi-talented and they are not all the same. I possess learnt the hard way that I cannot make them love the things I love.
If you ever need a hand or have any questions, feel free to leave them below and I will be more than happy to help you out.
All the best,
Dee J.
e: dj@bookwormsandunicorns.com
w: https://bookwormsandunicorns.com
Hi Dee,
My wife, when she was a kid, was diagnosed with dyslexic. Her parents tried to help her the best they knew how, but not much was known on how to help a child. Her parents even tried Hook on Phonics, but it never help. As a young teenager, my wife acted out and lashed at everybody and became a wild child.
Fast forward to our children. My daughter was not affected. My son, being the youngest had taken on the mantle of having a slight form of dyslexic but not bad. He did not like to read. Period. He would not read the request materials for his school and almost failed several times because of this. My wife and I were scared and not knowing what to expect. We embraced the fact that we need professional help. Lucky for us we found it through a former teacher when my wife was in son’s school. She directed us were to go.
In short, my son was held back a year in school and was labeled. Now, after getting the right help he has graduated a year early.
Yes it hurts when you watch a loved one struggle if you have no idea as to how to help. I am thankful that my wife’s former teacher reached out to help us in our son’s time of needs. The teacher remembered my wife’s struggles in school with her dyslexic. The teacher, still today, tells how proud she is of my wife’s accomplishments because my wife never gave up.
What are your thoughts on this discussions?
Best wishes,
Homer Patrick
Hi Homer,
Thank you so much for sharing. The struggle is real. Sometimes I still feel like crying when I see my daughter struggling with things that are so natural and easy for others. As a family, we have come a long way.
Teachers can be so wonderful. It brought a smile to my face when you mentioned that your wife’s former teacher stepped in to help. This is the type of community that we all need. We, ourselves, are not always equipped to assist, but there are so may with the skills and knowledge to provide the right support.
It takes remarkable strength to never give up and I am happy that your wife was able to keep at it.
How old is your son now? Do you find that his struggles are lesser as he gets older?
Dee J.