"Children are our most important resource. We should invest time in them, be present for them, enter their world and let them be part of ours."Philippa Perry (Child Psychotherapist)
1. Resilience - For a dyslexic child to be able to face life's challenges. Such as bullying at school and struggles with classwork takes resilience. To build resilience a child needs to develop everything else on this list.
2. Independence - Allowing a children to fail, make their own mistakes can be a challenge. Dyslexic children need the freedom to do this, so they can learn and build in confidence.
3. Ambition - What will they grow-up to become? A writer, scientist, artist, mathematician or veterinarian! Dyslexic children can grow-up to do all these things, they just need showing how. Take them to museums, read them books, help them learn about famous dyslexic people.
4. Respect - If you treat your child with respect. Teach them to treat others with respect, they are less likely to be disrespected as adults. Respect is all about good communication and compassion for others. All great skills to have for making good friends and being successful in the workplace.
5. Self-esteem - In Phillippa Perrys book "The Book You Wish Your Children Had Read And Your Children Will Be Glad You Did". She talks about how children get their view of themselves from us their parents, careers. If they hear you put yourself down, say you are ugly, useless, they are more likely to think this about themselves. So big yourself up, you are amazing!
6. Confidence - I would rather my children were confident, then beautiful or popular. Confidence is everything, if they believe in themselves they can do anything. How do they get confident? By you believing in them.
7. Relationships - We want our dyslexic children to grow-up to have healthy relationships. Making good friends, partners and getting on with their future children, if they have them. If a child has everything on this list. They will have the tools to form healthy, supportive relationships.
8. Stability - This really is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child growing-up. Stability is a feeling of feeling safe. That the child feels their home is a safe place, where they are protected and can be themselves. Then when anything that happens in the outside world, they can deal with. They always have a safe home to come home too.
9. Maturity - How can a child be mature, they are a child? Well it is the parents, the carers that needs to be mature and encourage their child to be. Be open to answering their questions, talk about their problems and listen. Speak to them with respect, if you shout, argue they is more likely to copy.
10. Vulnerability - It can feel like as the parent, career we need to be strong and brave to help our children. Hiding our own problems from the child, as not to worry them. Showing our own feelings, our problems and how we overcome them, help a child learn.
As the parent, career of a dyslexic child, it is easy to become worried are you doing enough to help them. The fact you care is enough, you are enough:)
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