Kelly Sage

There are no tags on any of my child’s clothes. When she needs new clothes, we spend hours in dressing rooms trying to find ones that are comfortable. Deeply intuitive, in need of quiet downtime, challenged by change, a perfectionist, she is not alone.

There are, in fact, two people in my family of four who fall into the 20% of the population known for being highly sensitive. Elain Aron, Ph.D. is the author of The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When the World Overwhelms Them. She herself was often misunderstood and even shamed for being too sensitive.

Having a child who has been diagnosed with dyslexia can be overwhelming for any parent. For the homeschool mom, it can seem especially intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Since homeschooling offers flexibility and individualized instruction, it is the perfect environment to foster learning for the child with dyslexia. Children with dyslexia process information differently. Therefore, they must be taught differently, or frustration, stagnation, and feelings of defeat can compound their struggles. To become readers and writers, they need to learn and access information the way their brains process information. Research shows that a multisensory approach helps a child with dyslexia learn.

My youngest started showing signs of anxiety when she was around three. Her worries brought hard questions, behaviors, and many late night chats, all of which sent me into my own panic.

Seeing the very thing I hoped to never pass on to my children manifest, was, well, worrisome. It soon became clear that in order to help my daughter with her worries, I needed to make sure we both had the help we needed. Online programs, books, and apps have not only helped us manage our anxiety, but they've also shaped the way we homeschool.

In search of an olive tree, we circled through the Acropolis and headed towards the Erechtheion. "It's in the same place Athena planted an olive tree back when she and Poseidon were competing for Athens", my son said excitedly. He'd heard this story along with the many others he'd share with us throughout our trip thanks to Rick Riordan's "Greek Gods" and "Greek Heroes." We found the tree and read from a nearby plaque the same story my son told. A similar scene occurred in every museum and ancient site. Good books once again offered the interest and knowledge I hoped they would.