Dear Dr. Bill,
My 12-year-old is getting bad grades in math, and is generally disorganized. Her 8-year-old brother is slow with his reading skills and is also struggling with math. I love my children dearly and want to help them — but I get so stressed out that I don’t know where to start! What should I do?
--Laura
Dear Laura,
I can empathize with your situation. It’s obvious that you care deeply about your kids and want the best for them in life. The first thing I would recommend is cutting back on your own commitments.
A single mom with a full-time job who is going to school part-time has enough on her plate. Although it may be difficult for you, I’d suggest that you let your church know that you’ll be stepping down from the youth director position at the end of the school year. Right now your kids and your physical and mental health should be your priority
You may also need to cut back on your class schedule. Take a break next semester and devote the extra time you have to working with your kids on their academic problems. Ask your kids principal about tutoring or remediation options. If the district doesn’t offer any, consider looking into a commercial tutoring program like “Learning RX” or Mathnasium.
Thanks for writing Laura.
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