Just Give Me My Sweet Kid Back!

Don’t let dyslexia and other learning challenges rob your child of confidence!

Periodically, I get the pleasure of hearing from former clients or their parents. Last week, I got a call from a parent with an update on her son who is now happily married and a brand new father! He attended college and is now a valued worker in his job and laying the groundwork for starting his own business.

But Mom was remembering that when she brought her son to Stowell Learning Center at 11 years old, he was a very discouraged, angry boy with spelling, writing, comprehension, and social difficulties. She remembered saying to me, “I’m not concerned with academics right now, just give me my sweet kid back.”

Parents Just Want Their Child to Feel Confident

At our Information Meetings, I hear parents echo this same sentiment over and over. “He doesn’t have to be a straight A student,” they say, “I just want him to feel good about himself; to be confident; to know he can do it.”

Dyslexia and other diagnosed or undiagnosed learning disabilities can rob smart, talented, creative students of confidence and cause them to come home saying, “I’m so dumb.”

Because they are smart, they can look around the classroom and quickly recognize that they can’t complete the work as quickly or as easily as their classmates. They may be able to hide behind being the class clown and making everyone laugh, their athletic prowess, or their quiet, polite manner that allows them to fly under the radar, but their self-esteem is taking a hit.

One high school student who attended our information meeting said, “I just want my grades to reflect the effort I put in.”

Why Learning Struggles Hurt Confidence

Learning difficulties and struggles in school and/or social situations are most often the result of weak or inconsistent learning skills. These underlying skills cause interference to learning. Unfortunately, they do not typically improve with time or traditional tutoring.

As a result, students become more frustrated and anxious about their learning challenges. They may become angry or withdrawn. They may appear unmotivated. They may make poor decisions, feel like a failure, and quit believing in themselves.

It does not have to be this way. These issues can be changed. But to permanently solve a learning problem, the underlying skills must be developed. With specialized training the brain can learn to think and process information in more effective ways. Students don’t have to go through life crippled by their learning challenges.

Do you have a child, teen, or adult in your life that is struggling with dyslexia, reading, learning, or attention? Are you ready for a change? Here’s your next step:

Quick Answers

How do learning challenges affect a child’s confidence?

Because they are smart, struggling students can look around the classroom and quickly recognize that they can’t complete the work as quickly or as easily as their classmates, and their self-esteem takes a hit.

Will my child’s learning struggles improve with time?

Unfortunately, the underlying skills that cause interference to learning do not typically improve with time or traditional tutoring. To permanently solve a learning problem, the underlying skills must be developed.