S4E3: Understanding IEPs and 504 Plans for Your Child

In this episode, Juliet Hahn and Brent Sopel discuss the challenges children face as they return to school, particularly those with dyslexia and other learning differences. They emphasize the importance of understanding IEPs and 504 plans, recognizing signs of struggle in children, and advocating for their needs. The conversation also covers the impact of reading levels on self-esteem and the necessity of open communication between parents and teachers. They provide practical advice for parents on how to support their children during this transition and encourage self-advocacy in students.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Back to School: Preparing for a New Year

02:01 Understanding IEPs and 504 Plans

05:36 Recognizing Signs of Struggle in Children

09:29 The Impact of Reading Levels on Self-Esteem

13:26 Advocating for Your Child in School

17:13 Creating a Binder for Teacher Communication

21:03 Encouraging Self-Advocacy in Students

24:51 Navigating School Challenges and Changes

 

Transcript:

00:00:07:04 - 00:00:32:17

Unknown

Welcome back to word blindness. Dyslexia expose. I am Juliet Hon here with my co-host Brant Sopel. How are you? You look great, Yeah, it's been a it's been a week. Yeah, it's been a week. We just finished the weekend. It's been a week and a weekend. It's been a week and a weekend. Let's just leave it at that.

 

00:00:32:19 - 00:01:06:22

Unknown

And school starting soon. School started here, right. Schools didn't start there. What? Last week? No, I think you, probably about half started last week. The the other half of starts, this week. And so by the end of, an hour, by the end of next week, end of this week, all schools will be going except for Chicago Public schools is on the same schedules.

 

00:01:06:23 - 00:01:34:01

Unknown

Yeah. So there's the second, September thereafter. But every everybody else in the state, I think pretty much everywhere else except for New York will be started. I think yeah, because Philly starts next week. Georgia started three weeks ago. Yeah. Because like, yeah I think the first week. And then they started. Yeah. Yeah they started. I know my friend that has our kids in private.

 

00:01:34:01 - 00:01:56:12

Unknown

I think they started the second week. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Elizabeth's nieces they're. Yeah, they're this is, are they're starting a third week there. Yeah. Right. So this is why we wanted to talk about this today is to check in with your student. It doesn't matter what grade they are, what level they are. Especially in the higher grades, as we've spoken about this before.

 

00:01:56:13 - 00:02:18:05

Unknown

Teachers don't typically look at the IEP, the 504, until school is already started. And so usually your student is like a couple or two weeks behind because the teachers are a couple weeks behind, and then they're just getting ready to understand the students. The first like month is like a lot of review even in the higher grades.

 

00:02:18:09 - 00:02:36:00

Unknown

And they're trying to get, you know, knowing their students. So all of a sudden it's like a switch. And I know with my kids it's like, okay, now we're like full on. And that's where things kind of fall through the cracks. If they're not feeling supported by their IEP or their 5 or 4. Very few of them will feel supported.

 

00:02:36:01 - 00:03:06:01

Unknown

You know, because I think, you know, I think in in the lower classes it's or, you know, lower grades. I think high school is a little bit different. You know, you're dropping classes, you're still you can still switch your schedule. So, up until the last second. I think teachers are getting different students getting new students. Lower grades always shank their SAT a little bit longer, but they don't, you know, they don't read their IEPs or or the Final Fours.

 

00:03:06:03 - 00:03:33:18

Unknown

You know, a lot of times your 2 or 3 weeks in and some of them haven't looked I haven't even looked at it. And, you know, I can always, always remember that their, science teacher, biology or an English or whatever, they're not gone. They're not, you know, a special ed. They're not, up to speed in five or fours or IEPs.

 

00:03:33:18 - 00:03:51:16

Unknown

Most of them don't even know what exactly all that means. So, your kids obviously starting behind the eight ball, having having, you know, if you're five and four and starting a new teacher and, you know, new schedule and the anxiety with that, that in itself is.

 

00:03:51:18 - 00:04:22:04

Unknown

Yeah. Not fun. And then having a teacher not, being up to speed on them. Isn't fun either. No. And I think something for parents to think about, you know, like in the younger, younger grades not knowing if their kid right now struggles. You know some parents like starting kindergarten or starting first grade. I've had a number of parents be like, oh, my two are really excited, but my one's really not excited.

 

00:04:22:04 - 00:04:49:06

Unknown

I don't know what's going on. And I'm like, I don't know what's going on. There's something going on. And so if your child is seeming off, there's a difference between just being nervous. You know, a kid that loves to be home, you know, loves their mom, loves their dad, loves that there's a different level when a kid knows that they're going to struggle, but doesn't know how to express it and doesn't know how to talk about it.

 

00:04:49:06 - 00:05:10:05

Unknown

A lot of times it's acting out or just, you know, not really being excited. And then when school starts, another sign to really just kind of really be like checking in with your child if they come home and constantly have meltdowns now, there's going to be kids that do that because it's like it's been a free for all right in the summer and free for all.

 

00:05:10:05 - 00:05:27:01

Unknown

Meaning in the best way. There's no schedules. There's not. And then all of a sudden they're sitting in a chair for six hours and needing to follow directions and all these different things. It really depends on your household and how you parent and all these different kind of aspects. But if your child keeps doing it, you need to stop and be like, okay, what's going on?

 

00:05:27:02 - 00:05:50:15

Unknown

I know I have a friend that her she suspects her child has ADHD. She's like, the teacher's like he's doing great. She's like, he comes home and he frickin melts down. And I'm like, that's normal, right? That's like they're they're keeping it in. They don't want to get in trouble. And they are. If you're all day at school, you know, they put all their energy into, to school and sitting there and listening and being good at.

 

00:05:50:15 - 00:06:13:06

Unknown

And when they come home, they just let it go. Yep. And that is important to let your child do that as much as it's hard, especially if you're someone that you know is an over schedule or where they're like, nope, we're on to the next activity. Sometimes we need to let that kid just have a frickin moment. Sometimes you need that kid just to be like, okay, let them have that and then try to talk to them about it.

 

00:06:13:08 - 00:06:32:21

Unknown

You know, sometimes when they're younger, it's hard because they don't completely understand why they're having this meltdown. They can't put it into words. But do you as a parent, you know, just knowing. Okay, my kid's a little off. It's so much better to talk about it in the beginning than to kind of stuff it and be like, I don't feel like dealing with this because it's just going to it's just going to get worse and worse.

 

00:06:32:23 - 00:06:51:08

Unknown

Yeah. You know, it's they don't have the words for, you know, it took us 40 some years to figure out what the words were to, to understand it. Right. You know, it's it you know, it didn't make sense. We just know things are right and we know things are aren't in line like everybody else. And we don't know why.

 

00:06:51:08 - 00:06:56:17

Unknown

We know what it is. And.

 

00:06:56:18 - 00:07:20:04

Unknown

If your kid always just wants to stay for recess or stay on the lunch break, You know, take a, there's, there usually is not all the time, but there's usually more and more of the story like, I love the recess, right? I love sandbox gum. Home. And I didn't have to do math. I didn't have to, you know?

 

00:07:20:04 - 00:07:46:07

Unknown

Hey, come in. And I. Al yeah, I always I was always late, you know, I don't want to go in. No. And and the other thing is for teachers also like our listening to think about this is, you know, the kids that seem like, okay, they are really controlled and trying to be really good, or the ones that are maybe acting out a little bit, you know, just think about it.

 

00:07:46:07 - 00:08:16:15

Unknown

Don't automatically be like they're the bad kid, right? They're the bad kid. And as school progresses, another thing is teachers and parents to think about, because I remember this, you know, Montgomery and Bradley talked about this on the podcast. And so anyone that's like, what is she talking about? Just go back in season three. One of the interviews and both of them talked about when they assigned the the books that the kids were going to be in.

 

00:08:16:17 - 00:08:34:21

Unknown

And I cannot tell you how many parents talk about it like, that destroyed their kid. Right. And then it was like, okay, they're in the lowest level of like as a teacher, you don't need to make it so obvious, okay? You guys are in the high ones. You guys are in the sucky ones. Your kid knows already. They know they're struggling.

 

00:08:34:21 - 00:08:51:08

Unknown

They don't need the frickin reminder all the time. They don't need other kids to be like, oh, you're only on a, I'm on D, I'm on C, I'm on F. It doesn't feel good. So think about that as your, you know, because I know in the beginning of school that it's not that you assess. It's like a couple months in.

 

00:08:51:10 - 00:09:12:16

Unknown

But think about that. And then as a parent, if there is you know, you're like, oh, everything's good. And all of a sudden and there's like a bad day. It could be the day that they assign the fucking reading books, because that was never a fun day in my house. You know, it's there's always ways around making things obvious.

 

00:09:12:18 - 00:09:37:13

Unknown

Yeah. And we've, we've discussed it on here y'all, I've been told I'm done my whole life. And so when somebody says oh you know you're not done you're smart know as fuck. You. Instead of saying oh shit how do you, how did you get to that answer. That's pretty cool. That was awesome how you did that. You know, there's things like that you can do with with books and with reading.

 

00:09:37:13 - 00:10:12:06

Unknown

You know, there's there's you don't have to be so, so point and great. You know, I understand that's that's kind of how your brain works, but, you know, and most of you guys have enjoyed school, we haven't. We hit, so there's there, you know, short term and maybe a little bit harder on a teacher to, to brainstorm a fair, a different way to do it, but long term, I think it's going to make your day so much better if you're able to do that.

 

00:10:12:08 - 00:10:29:17

Unknown

Yeah. And it does it have to because yes, there's I know there's I've talked about this where people and they're like, well kids talk about it. It's just life. You know, things are gonna be hard. Everyone needs to like, you know, toughen up or learn. Yeah, it is hard, I get that. But when you're in kindergarten, in first, second grade, you know what?

 

00:10:29:17 - 00:10:39:23

Unknown

Let's keep it where it doesn't have to fucking suck and be hard. Save that kids, you know, self-esteem. Toughen up. Toughen up when beat your kid.

 

00:10:40:01 - 00:10:55:13

Unknown

But think about it like kids are like, oh, what? What are you on? And they're not doing it maliciously, you know? But it's like, oh, wait, you're only on a why are you on the low one? What does that mean? Is there a way that you can maybe not do ABCd so they know, hey, this is a better one, you know, do different things.

 

00:10:55:13 - 00:11:12:01

Unknown

It doesn't have to be so and and I don't know why. Time and time again it's always the alphabet and it's like oh yes, the harder ones are later I remember Montgomery coming home and the first time where he realized and it was like the first day because he's smart, right? It was like, wait, I'm in the lowest reading group?

 

00:11:12:01 - 00:11:29:09

Unknown

Because not only the book but you, you're the lowest in the alphabet. So it's like, you know what? You're not just because you can't, you know, you're dyslexic. I'm going to say this. I haven't seen that in a long time. It doesn't mean you know that you're dumb. Dyslexia has nothing to do with IQ. Usually we're actually more clever in many different ways.

 

00:11:29:11 - 00:11:46:20

Unknown

It's just not in school, so it doesn't come out that way. But you could do it in a different way so kids don't realize. Yeah, totally. Be creative. Don't be like, oh, everyone does the ABC. It's amazing how many teachers can't be your. Well, it's because they're also following a curriculum. And it's the way the curriculum is.

 

00:11:46:20 - 00:12:06:00

Unknown

It's the way the curriculum was laid out. You can still do things that it stays in the curriculum like that's like an excuse in my opinion, curriculum there. You got to teach, you got to teach the kids. And this you gotta teach the kids. You know, again, that doesn't mean you can instead do an outfit for, you know, when when the cop would pull over.

 

00:12:06:00 - 00:12:24:13

Unknown

Can you say alphabet backwards? Right. I can they do it? They were taught and they weren't taught in the academy to do that. No, I can't I can't do that. Sober officer. Oh, really? Can't do that sober. Where are you drunk now? Well, I have most kind of would be great to have a drink right now, officer.

 

00:12:24:15 - 00:12:43:01

Unknown

Yeah, one for me. See, I think they also do that in concussions. I got into the. And I got into a fight with the doctor. Tell me asking Montgomery to do that backwards and then spelling something and then doing math. I was like, what? I was like, he's dyslexic and this graphic. And when then the doctor yelled at me and made me go out in the other room and I was like, okay.

 

00:12:43:01 - 00:13:03:22

Unknown

And then he said he had a concussion. I was like, he doesn't have a fucking concussion. Oh it's terrible. Yes. So the concussion pre, pretest. Yeah. It's not easy. And then you got to remember what you did and then you're like, okay, I, I was just, I think I only had to do a couple. That was, that was a new thing.

 

00:13:03:22 - 00:13:22:11

Unknown

And like, you know, in order, for a base based test, I think, maybe I only had to do it once. Thank goodness. Because. Yeah, you know, I got enough concussions, all right? I, I didn't need somebody to tell me if I had one or not had one or not. Right. And and when they were in high school, they had to do them every year.

 

00:13:22:11 - 00:13:36:19

Unknown

They always have to do it. You have to do it if you play sport. And it's like Montgomery never complained about that. But it was one time that a ref was like, he got punched in the face by the goalie and went down and he got up, but they were like, oh, I think you have a concussion because you don't play a real sport.

 

00:13:36:19 - 00:13:56:03

Unknown

That's all. It they didn't have a helmet on, by the way. When when we fight. We don't know. Oh I know, that's right. And that's, you know, what do you say? You're the ones were. You guys were goggles and we 7000 whistles. First of all, when I play that lacrosse, Fuck you. I did not wear goggles or helmets.

 

00:13:56:04 - 00:14:28:22

Unknown

We didn't wear anything. Girls didn't wear anything back in my day while I played lacrosse for a couple of years. My God, there was. Did you have to wear the goggles? Yeah, that's where the goggles. And there's 6922 whistles and every minute. Yeah. Yeah. Not again. Not when I played. It was a different time that But yeah, but those things like that, I mean, it is like concussions, all these different things that it adds up.

 

00:14:29:00 - 00:14:52:07

Unknown

It. Right. But like, the teacher can be like, okay, let's think about this. Why do we need to make it like, okay, you're in the lowest level and some teachers have no sympathy about it. And I'm not saying, oh, I know there's a lot that do because I know a lot that do, but there's a lot that have no they don't think about it and it's like, oh well no, that's just where the kid is like, you know, and it hurt.

 

00:14:52:07 - 00:15:10:14

Unknown

The kids are there. I'm always going to say they're not just because they're dyslexic, they're not slow, and they know retarded. Yeah. They right. They're not in the lowest level. Like they have awareness. They they realize that they are in the lowest level. It doesn't feel good. They know they're struggling. So it doesn't need to be thrown in their face.

 

00:15:10:16 - 00:15:33:21

Unknown

And we can be better at okay, let's give the support where it's like screaming like, oh, you're the kid. You're the kid that sucks about, oh, you're the kid that sucks at that. And the bad thing is you always to say, kid, kids are too smart for their own good right now. We know. And we know the struggles, we know are different at such a young age.

 

00:15:33:23 - 00:16:06:01

Unknown

And we just don't know why. We don't know how to express it. Communicate it. But, we know. Yeah. And so if we can help in any, in any way, it's, it's smart. So as a parent, if you are just starting school, you suspect. Hey, my kid seems like they're struggling. What do I do? You know, we've talked about this on so many different episodes, but just as a reminder, do not go through the school.

 

00:16:06:01 - 00:16:27:00

Unknown

Go outside. The school has their way. They fit in the box and what they need to get. Now, listen, I know that there's districts because I've had so many people. Oh, my district's great. They do this and they do that. It's great until it's not. By the way, you might have a really great year because you have a teacher and someone that is gets it I and that is awesome.

 

00:16:27:02 - 00:16:49:02

Unknown

But the majority it it's so broken. And right now with the way education is, it's even more broken and the way that they're trying to force different things because nothing's working. They're lowing learn lowering what is achievement for a kid anyways? So just as a parent, just be a little bit more aware. Just be a little bit more aware.

 

00:16:49:04 - 00:17:20:02

Unknown

I would say it's not that they're trying to lower, New York did it. Chicago. Now I own the state now. Oh, I, you know. Yeah. They're they're talking about the whole whole state dropping. Where did I see something? They're talking about? Passing kids, you know, with 20%. Yeah. You don't have to go. Yeah, I was 50 again.

 

00:17:20:02 - 00:17:55:13

Unknown

They paid. There's so many times they pass me. Just give me, I probably didn't have a 20. Right? Because it was like, right, we don't need to keep this kid in school anymore. And, yeah, I mean, it it it happens too much. So as a parent, just just touch base with your child if they you think that they're struggling, if you think that, you know, especially if you have a history, family history, if you're like, you know, school wasn't really always great for me.

 

00:17:55:15 - 00:18:19:10

Unknown

Just just check and check in a little bit more. It's important. Yeah. It's, goes a long ways. Does, Okay, so the other thing is we should touch on the binder because there are some you know, people haven't started with the binder. If they didn't listen to previous episodes, they can start doing it now because it's beginning.

 

00:18:19:12 - 00:18:58:19

Unknown

Yeah. You know, it's as crazy as it sounds. You know, you think that every year, you know, the teachers, as we just talked about, they get new kids. And now a for high school, some teachers are dealing with, you know, 40, 50, 60, 70 different kids if they're teaching 3 or 4 different classes, create a binder, you know, for your kid with the 5 or 4 in it, you know, with the IEP, their strengths, their weaknesses, you know, and give it to give, you know, planning on how many teachers are, you know, give the teacher a new Pi, you know, the binder of what's in there, what their strengths are, what their

 

00:18:58:19 - 00:19:18:02

Unknown

weaknesses are, what the 504 is, where they excel at, in the classroom. What helps them, what doesn't help them? You said an email. How many emails are they getting at the beginning of the school year? You know, hundreds. Is it going to get buried? Are they actually going to read through it? They're just going to skim it.

 

00:19:18:07 - 00:19:41:14

Unknown

Are they going to understand it? No. You know that binder, it's physical. It's going to be on their desk and it's going to be easier for them to flip to, see them for the read it. It shows that you care not not saying that you don't care by sending an email. It just it stands out differently. You're going to stand no different than, you know, the parent, you know.

 

00:19:41:18 - 00:20:05:23

Unknown

Oh, I send, you know, Mrs. So-and-so or Mr. So-and-so an email or, you know, you come back and you as a, as a parent and you hand this over and they flip through it. And it's not in doctor terms, it's in your terms, you know, which means it's easier for them to understand what what your kid needs or what his or her needs in this class and how they excel.

 

00:20:06:01 - 00:20:34:16

Unknown

That's going to go a long ways for your kid. Is it a pain in the ass to have 6 or 8 or whatever it is? It is? But this is what needs to be done so that teacher has more understanding and not trying to figure out your kid, you know, two months or three months or four months down the road going to school, you know, my seven binders here, Mrs. So-and-so, my son, you know, my daughter has an IEP or 5 or 4.

 

00:20:34:18 - 00:20:55:01

Unknown

Here's all about it. Here's what helps them. Here's what doesn't help them. Here's what causes causes more anxiety. Please let me know what questions you have. That is a lot easier for them to, to go through, open up and take a look at than handing over and sending an IEP or near a site that they're not up to speed on there.

 

00:20:55:01 - 00:21:27:19

Unknown

You know, these paragraphs. It's not breaking down it. And does it really actually term to what your kidneys in the classroom. And the other thing is and I know we've talked about this and you sometimes disagree. But what I always did with Montgomery and he started his sophomore year really being like okay fine is he would touch base with the teacher the first day and sometimes he would email the the because that for as a student emailing it's different than a parent emailing.

 

00:21:27:21 - 00:21:47:18

Unknown

And just go up and introduce himself and just say, hey, I you know, I have the IEP, I want to go to college or I want to do well this year, whatever it is, I am dyslexic and, you know, whatever else. So whatever help you can give me, yeah, I'd appreciate it. And every time a teacher would be like, you know what?

 

00:21:47:18 - 00:22:07:09

Unknown

Thank you. I know that wasn't easy. I mean, you know, we talked about this. His English teacher was like, oh, shit, this is going to be really hard year for you. And he's like, yeah, thanks. Every year is a really hard year. And obviously the, the longer your kids had it, you know, is able, the more your kids are able to advocate for themselves.

 

00:22:07:09 - 00:22:29:03

Unknown

100%. But but that's a very small percentage. You know, how many are the just got diagnosed. How many are okay. How many. So if your kids are able to advocate for themselves. Oh, absolutely. You know, do that. You know, please do that. You know, in your Montgomery obviously wise, you know, you've had a long family history in it.

 

00:22:29:03 - 00:22:46:00

Unknown

So you guys are well versed in it. You know, most people aren't right. Most people, aren't. And yeah, but also a lot of people don't like, you know, my nephew who would say he's like, I didn't I wasn't going to fucking tell them. I was going to figure out myself for, you know, I wasn't going to let them know I was going to try to hide.

 

00:22:46:01 - 00:23:05:07

Unknown

Now, Montgomery did very well at that. But his the way he connects with people and makes relationships, he use that as his advantage. So it was like, okay, any help you can give me. He was really like hoping that they'd be like, okay, you're here, so let's do our work. You do your work, you do the work, then we're good.

 

00:23:05:11 - 00:23:26:02

Unknown

Yeah. So it was wasn't like you. Yeah. So more of that angle for him, which, you know what? Whatever worked, and whatever works. But then the teacher also just being like, okay, I see that, all right. This kid, you know, wants to do well or is standing up for himself. And, you know, I know it's always it's it's not easy.

 

00:23:26:02 - 00:23:48:09

Unknown

And actually, we had this conversation, the other day, like, I will never going to show and ask for help to find some. I get home deep. I'd walk every. I'll try and find myself before somebody. Knows that being a man stubborn or. No I just want you to explain to listeners because they might be like yeah my husband doesn't do that either.

 

00:23:48:12 - 00:24:08:00

Unknown

No it's it's not being, you know, it's I don't know what it is. Am I asking for the right thing? I, you know, look, me they don't have it. They don't carry it. Why would you ask me? You know, those are all the things go my head, right? You know, and I feel dumb that, you know, we don't carry here at Home Depot.

 

00:24:08:00 - 00:24:29:19

Unknown

We carry menards or, you know, okay. Just like grocery store. Oh I'll walk, I'll walk all I'll say, you know, same thing right where I'd rather ask because I know, I know I'm not going to find it in all the aisles because I'm like looking at the thing, I can't just type stuff on the aisles, is I'm like, what?

 

00:24:29:19 - 00:24:50:23

Unknown

I'm usually also in a rush, so I'm usually like, get in and out. I can show me where it is so I know how to deal with that. But I again, I mean, you know, school is not easy for a lot of kids, whether you're dyslexic or not, whether you love school or not, there is always a level of, you know, where is the bathroom?

 

00:24:50:23 - 00:25:07:22

Unknown

Like, so there's different things like, where's this? Where's the class? How do I open my locker? Tons of different things that if you, as a parent can just check in with your child to do it before, it's just going to make it a little bit better, but it's also going to let them be able to know it's okay to express.

 

00:25:07:22 - 00:25:36:03

Unknown

It's okay to say, I don't feel great. Somebody's got their salt stick. Okay, schools. Unfortunately, a time with a 12 years with kindergarten. Here in Illinois, they make kindergarten all day. Now. Yeah. We've always had all day. Now we we have this is a and this is a first year for all day. So Peter goes all day. Yeah.

 

00:25:36:03 - 00:26:00:01

Unknown

We've we've always had all day. I think New York I want to say always did new Jersey. I remember when my mom went from because she would teach two classes. But that was like when I probably was still in like, middle school. Yeah, I know they switched it. So that's that's zero. And I went to a private school for kindergarten, so I went all day.

 

00:26:00:03 - 00:26:25:06

Unknown

Yeah, the daycare, it was Moorestown friends. It was because they knew that school was not going to be great for me. So it was like, oh, wait, the school helps a little bit better. Nice try. Yeah. My oldest, Elizabeth and I both went to Moorestown Friends and they had a full day kindergarten. No, no, that's. And they just they just switched over.

 

00:26:25:06 - 00:26:54:18

Unknown

So it's. I'm used to after my life. Did Peter start. He starts tomorrow. The excited it's going to be it's going to be a lot of you know he went from preschool which is last year. Three days I think. Yeah. You went from it's a it's a lot. It's a big change. That's a lot for but that's like kindergarten is a big change for a lot of kids.

 

00:26:54:20 - 00:27:16:23

Unknown

And then when you struggle, like, I think I found that picture of Montgomery first day of kindergarten. And he was like, I mean, his little face was not thrilled. But he also when we were I think I shared the story when we were in Brooklyn, we went he went to a, you know, a preschool. I always did like if the kids were three, they went three days a week.

 

00:27:16:23 - 00:27:30:12

Unknown

I wasn't the one that, like, a lot of friends, would be like, no, they go five days. And I was like, why did you do that? I want them home. I'd like like them home. I'll do a couple days with them. But so like, I never did the twos and then if three days it was three days for it was four days.

 

00:27:30:14 - 00:27:50:00

Unknown

And then preschool was five days, but it was half day. Or it was like two, you know, like one full day and like two, whatever. So, in his preschool in Brooklyn, the teacher was like, hey, I just want to let you know, you know, all the kids, like, we're doing the alphabet, and you get a choice. You can do.

 

00:27:50:00 - 00:28:05:09

Unknown

This is why I liked this preschool. You can either stay outside and do experiments in the dirt and do all these different things, or you can come in and do some learning. And she's like, I just want to let you know he he's the only one that's like, nope, I'm staying outside. And I was like, oh, he loves outside, you know, whatever.

 

00:28:05:11 - 00:28:20:04

Unknown

But I was like, oh, all right. She's like, I would just keep an eye on it. You know, keep an eye on it. More is like, all right, but like, who doesn't want to be outside? Like, why is this? Our kids want to do the alphabet. That's weird. Where would you play in Brooklyn? You couldn't play outside. He said buildings everywhere.

 

00:28:20:06 - 00:28:44:02

Unknown

No, there's like we there's in Brooklyn, there's. It was called bean sprouts, by the way, and they had a whole garden. It was like very it was awesome. It was very crunchy, like the kids could like they played in the dirt. It was awesome. They would go to Prospect Park and like, do science that parks in Brooklyn, Prospect Park, just like just like Central Park,

 

00:28:44:04 - 00:29:06:08

Unknown

Yeah. Big park where he got his. Oh, you got his buildings? I lived in Park Slope and it was right off the park. Hence Park Slope. It was a big park, actually. That's the funny story. When I first moved there, because I lived in and then we lived in Manhattan and the area I lived in was like super, super safe.

 

00:29:06:10 - 00:29:27:00

Unknown

And Central Park is pretty safe. And I'll never forget, I was walking Montgomery and Lucy, who was our first boxer. It was like an early morning. Dan had like, you leave early work early like 630, you know, whatever. So the Montgomery would be up and I was walking and I had Truman as well. Now, I think I was pregnant with Sherman.

 

00:29:27:02 - 00:29:47:13

Unknown

And a cop stopped me and was like, what are you doing? I was like, take it a walk. He's like, you should not be on this side of the park now you can murder. And I was like, what? And, yeah, there was a whole, like, very disturbing homeless community up in the one area of the park. It's not I don't think it happens anymore, but.

 

00:29:47:13 - 00:30:02:13

Unknown

So he's like, yeah, you do not go here to there. And I was like, all right. I remember calling Dan and he's like, what the fuck? And I was like, I mean, I used to walk all over the New York City like. Like I didn't realize Prospect Park had, like, gangs in the freaking in the woods, in the park.

 

00:30:02:16 - 00:30:21:16

Unknown

Like he I thought like, girl, yeah, I know. And then I felt really like I was like, no, I'm like very. I have very big street smarts. But apparently that day I did not. He's like, you're pregnant with a baby. And I was like, yeah, walking like everyone else does. He's like, yeah, no, no, you should not be here until like ten.

 

00:30:21:18 - 00:30:42:19

Unknown

I was like, okay. And there was a cutoff when you can walk in the frickin park. Yeah. Anyways. All right, well, I think that is enough of story time. But check in with your kid. Check in with the teacher. It's really, really important. Don't wait. If your kid is grumpy, don't just be like, oh, they're grumpy because they're tired.

 

00:30:42:19 - 00:31:08:16

Unknown

Just check in to see what's going on. See if you can talk about it. It's going to make your life easier if you do well. School sucks. Almost. September. Yep. So like rate review and share season four. We are here. So many things coming down the pike. We cannot wait to share with you guys. But again like rate review and share and we'll see you for a episode of Word Blindness, dyslexia.

 

00:31:08:16 - 00:31:10:00

Unknown

Time for.