A return to homeschooling reminds me how high my daughter soared
I watched Austen learn to read and discover her love for math
The back-to-school season looked a little different for my family this year.
After losing my 9-year-old daughter, Austen, last year to complications of Dravet syndrome, I decided to take this year off from teaching in the classroom and homeschool my son, Atlas, so it would be easier to travel with my husband.
This year, instead of back-to-school shopping and beating the crowds at the mall, I eagerly looked for packages of curriculum and supplies. Instead of decorating a classroom, I’m looking for areas in our home where I can hang maps and artwork. It’s an exciting time that brings back a ton of memories.
A front-row seat
This isn’t our first adventure into homeschooling. I homeschooled my oldest daughter, Addisen, when she was in elementary school and all three of my biological children — Addisen, Atlas, and Austen — during the COVID-19 pandemic. But this time, it’s different. I’m only teaching one child now, with Grace, my youngest, in public school. And without the chaos of younger siblings and seizures, it’s going way smoother this time around.
Still, as hectic as homeschooling three children and dealing with Dravet syndrome was, I miss those days.
We homeschooled during the pandemic to keep Austen safe, but doing that allowed me to watch her grow. I was told she might never succeed in school, but I saw her learn to read and found out she loved math and was great at it. She could do many math problems in her head.
Homeschooling gave me a front-row seat to my daughter’s endurance and fortitude, despite her having a disease that did its best to keep her down.
When I finally put the kids back in public school, I found myself not as worried about Austen as I had been before. I knew she might struggle and never be on grade level with her peers, but she taught me that she was capable of much more than we had imagined. I gave her teachers free rein to push her as far as she could go, knowing Austen would set her own limits about what she could do.
The sky was the limit for my baby girl, and now she soars there forever.
Note: Dravet Syndrome News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Dravet Syndrome News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Dravet syndrome.
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