Feeling competitive about our children

Each child develops at different rates and we know this so well with so many years of teaching. It is easy to compare our children with those around us. I found, as a parent, standing in the playground with other parents discussing reading levels was very difficult when my child, in Year 2 at the time, was a ‘daily reader’ and despite all our efforts, was not picking up reading. I began not only to compare her achievements but my own parenting wondering what other parents were doing that I wasn’t. However, at some point within Year 3, reading started to click for her and although she still found it challenging, she caught up with where she needed to be. When I became a teacher, I now realise she is dyslexic but this has not held her back in her life. So try not to worry. By the time most children are leaving primary school, they can read even if they all started at different times and this is true of all parts of the curriculum.