Hi Everyone,
My apologies for being MIA again. I'm going to try really hard to not let so much time go in between my posts. With that being said I'm going to jump right on in to today's post. So for a while now my husband and I have been trying to figure out ways to help our son Joshua focus better at school. He will be 7 in a couple months but even as a baby the kid has always been very energetic. He is a very passionate boy but has tons of energy and sometimes that could work against him especially in school. Of course through the years we have heard terms like ADD and ADHD but we were warned by professionals that people are going to try and say he has that because of his energy. He is a boy and lets face it, most little boys don't sit still and read books all day. He wants to play, build Lego's, and play outside for hours. When we got to the elementary school level we were told that Joshua did have trouble focusing at times in subjects that he did not love. For instance, reading. That did not come easy to him and he is a lot like his momma. If he couldn't get it quickly he just got frustrated. I could totally relate, as I watched him over time I had to remind myself to pray and encourage him through it.
In the meantime we started to go to a Chiropractor to get regular adjustments for our overall health and for Joshua b/c I had been told to try it for his focus/concentration. After we had been going for a couple weeks I mentioned to our Chiropractor about Joshua's behavior at school and asked if there was anything we could do. Naturally. My husband and I were pretty adamant about trying everything we could before Joshua would ever go on medication. I'm NOT saying that is the right choice for everyone. Every parent and child are their own unit and need to make those decisions themselves. We just knew in our hearts Joshua was not going to just be put on meds for an easy solution to focusing. So we spoke to our Chiropractor about it and the first thing he asked was about his diet. Joshua is a very picky eater so I normally have to sneak in the fruits and veggies in foods he would normally eat. Like cauliflower in his scrambled eggs. He asked if Joshua ate/drank a lot of dairy. Interesting I thought in my mind, Yes his diet is about 75% dairy b/c it happens to be things he likes. That was the first problem...dairy! We were advised to take dairy out of his diet. I didn't even hesitate on this b/c I had heard someone else say it to me. The next day all the milk/cheese/eggs were finished and the entire family switched to Almond Milk and dairy free diets. I was shocked at how on board everyone was. My kids actually LOVE almond milk and don't even think twice about the switch. I'm not saying my kids won't have pizza on occasion or other foods with dairy but they won't be eating dairy on a daily basis anymore. We also have been juicing. It is incredible to see the juices my kids will drink. Joshua will drink apple/carrot juice right from the juicer each morning and head out the door. He is not even hungry like he used to be mid morning. His teacher has told me that. So we have now been doing this for about 2 months.
In addition to switching his diet we have also put him in Tae Kwon Doe..also recommended from another parent who's son is very similar to Joshua. This has been one of the best decisions we could have made. He loves it and does so well in class. He is focused, respectful and continues to want to try his best so he can test for his next belt. It is amazing what it has done for his confidence to. Amazing.
I write all this to tell you that this morning I received and email from one of his teachers. His reading teacher which to be honest when I saw who it was from I was nervous. She told me she has seen an incredible improvement in Joshua's behavior and focus. His entire attitude towards learning has changed and she wants to know all the specifics to what we have been doing the last 2 months with him. She thinks it is something she could share with other parents so that they could give it a try. I jumped all over that b/c I would love to help other parents the way our Chiropractor and others have helped us. I was beyond thrilled to get this email today and I could not wait to forward it to our Chiropractor and call my husband at work. God just showed me in that email to keep pressing forward and do what we need to for Joshua..and Gianna for that matter.
I knew these changes would take effort on my part. Getting up extra early to juice for him, or running around more than normal to Tae Kwon Do 4 times a week..not b/c he has to but b/c he wants to go every chance his class is offered. For my child I'm willing to do anything. It is a blessing to have a husband who is right on board with all this and willing to do extra to make sure we do all we can for our kids. We have all noticed a huge difference in Joshua and I'm so thankful I reached out to ask others and got the help I did.
It is not easy raising children and it is not easy getting emails or calls every other week informing you that your child is struggling in certain areas. I knew Joshua could do the work but he needed to believe in himself and just focus.
We pray with Joshua and he falls asleep to Christian music every night. Those words soak in his brain as he falls asleep and he wakes up singing such joyous words. His whole attitude has changed. For this momma it has been a huge blessing to watching this transformation.
My mind is all over the place but hopefully you were able to understand. If you want to know more specifics to what we have been doing or have a child you would like me to pray for please do not hesitate to let me know. I am here to pray for you and for them! Try to not to get frustrated with your child. They are not meant to be cookie cutter and God made them exactly the way they are. Love them for who they are and just pray!
Thank you for reading and sharing in my excitement that came in that one simple email...changed my entire day :-)
Love and prayers,
Darea
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