Joseph...

is now an official cub scout! I am so proud of him, and he is very pleased with himself. To think of all he has overcome self-confidence wise, along with his speech problems, and his eye problems, I think he has every right to be pleased. I knew that day would come when he would feel confident to be left without me being there, and I'm very glad I trusted instincts and didn't listen to the "just leave and walk away no matter what" brigade. Instead we encouraged but did not force, we acknowledged his fears and allowed him time to deal with them. Who would have thought that he would have been confident in himself to go to a completely new place, a new group, with new adults, and new children, and be left there alone, without any hesitation at all. He didn't even know one single person there (not even by sight), yet he remained totally unfazed by it all and mingled with the group as if they were best friends. I can't describe the upset I felt when my little boy was turned into a quivering wreck, too scared to go to school and at 5 years old being sick and petrified. My happy-go-lucky, life is wonderful child changed within months into a child too nervous to speak and too distressed to talk. Thank goodness we have the freedom of Home-Ed. I am not sure where we would be without it.