![\"\"](\"http:\/\/dyslexiasa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/crossroads-997123_1280-1024x576.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
I\u2019m constantly telling parents to listen to their \u201cguts\u201d as far as their kids go.\u00a0 This seems so simple, but our tricky brains will want to talk us out of those perfect intuitive feelings we have about our kids or even our dogs.<\/p>\n
The other night, I just couldn\u2019t sleep.\u00a0 I tossed.\u00a0 I turned.\u00a0 By two-o\u2019clock I was worn out, but something was nagging at me.\u00a0 Something told me to just stay awake.\u00a0 I took a deep breath and headed downstairs to get a glass of milk.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I found our beloved border collie having a seizure of some sort.\u00a0 He was twitching and shaking.\u00a0 I dropped to my knees and shook him.<\/p>\n
Nothing happened.\u00a0 Slim is old.\u00a0 Really old.\u00a0 At fifteen, he\u2019s deaf and couldn\u2019t hear me.\u00a0 I shook him harder.\u00a0 Then he went completely still and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. He stopped breathing, and I figured it was just his time.\u00a0 I waited and nothing happened.\u00a0 His chest was eerily still, his tongue not moving.\u00a0 But something told me to shake him one more time.\u00a0 I listened to my \u201cgut\u201d and gave him one last shake.\u00a0 Can you believe his eyes popped open and he acted like nothing had happened?\u00a0 He wagged his tail and looked me straight in the eye.<\/p>\n
You might say that Slim is old and he\u2019ll die soon anyway.\u00a0 You\u2019re right, but as I listen to him bark and watch him run like a pup in the evenings, I guess it just wasn\u2019t his time.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure glad I listened to my \u201cgut\u201d that night, even if it mean having only a few more days with this sweet animal.<\/p>\n
You can do the same with your child.\u00a0 Are you getting pressured to put him on medication for ADD\/ADHD, but it doesn\u2019t feel right to you?\u00a0 Is she smart, but the teacher is recommending retention?\u00a0 Does he come home from school upset and complaining about a mean teacher, but whenever you\u2019ve met this person, he\/she is nice?\u00a0 Do you wonder if home-schooling would be better for your child, but have talked yourself out of it even though your child is miserable?\u00a0 Do you think you don\u2019t have enough money for private school but you\u2019re driving a new car?<\/p>\n
All of these are viable questions, and only you can listen to your \u201cgut\u201d about the answers.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the thing.\u00a0 They\u2019re always there if you listen.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure glad I listened all the times I was raising my kids. I promise you, whenever I didn\u2019t, it turned out in disaster.<\/p>\n
I would still be mourning Slim\u2019s death had I not listened to my \u201cgut\u201d that night.\u00a0 As it is, I\u2019ve been given the gift of more days with this very special member of our family.<\/p>\n
Best wishes,<\/p>\n
Lisa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m constantly telling parents to listen to their \u201cguts\u201d as far as their kids go. This seems so simple, but our tricky brains will want to talk us out of those perfect intuitive feelings we have about our kids or even our dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dyscalculia","category-dysgraphia","category-dyslexia"],"yoast_head":"\n