End of First Grade

Aiden had a challenging year in first grade (The struggle really started in kindergarten- it just got worse this year.).  He has a hard time staying focused on his work and keeping up to the standard the state requires of his grade level.  But he had a great teacher, Mrs. Whiting who really did all she could to work with him, and me, to help him be successful.  I really appreciated all she did for him.  We ended up having a meeting with the school phycologist in the middle of the school year, and after testing him he felt that Aiden would benefit from taking ADD medication. Even though medicating my kids is something I thought I'd never do, after the struggle he went through most of the year, I was ready to try it.  So we met with his pediatrician and discussed it some more, ultimately deciding to give it a try, so he gave us a prescription for methylphenidate.  Starting a medication like that is tricky because there's so much adjusting before you figure out what works best.  But after a couple dosage adjustments we finally found one that worked.  His teacher said she saw a big improvement in his ability to focus, and at home I saw homework time went much more smoothly. He still struggles a little with the actual work, but at least now he's able to focus enough to do it. It was hard to get him to do anything at homework time before, but now he's able to sit and get work done with out me bugging him too much to stay on task.  That's been such a  nice change! I always hear from his teachers what a sweet boy he is, and it's so true.  I love Aiden, and it's hard to see him struggle in school.  I hope that eventually we'll find ways other than the medication to help him keep up and stay focused, but for now I'll try this.  I am so grateful for the amazing teachers he's had at his school so far.  I know that it was the right decision to put him in that school.  Although I'm grateful summer is here, it's sad to say goodbye to Mrs. Whiting.