S4E4: Navigating Dyslexia in Education

In this episode, Juliet Hahn and Brent Sopel discuss the challenges and experiences surrounding dyslexia, particularly in educational settings. They share personal anecdotes and insights on navigating school accommodations, the impact of private schools, and creative learning strategies for children. The conversation emphasizes the importance of awareness, communication, and checking in with kids to support their educational journeys.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdotes

03:08 Dyslexia Awareness and Educational Challenges

06:04 Navigating School Accommodations

08:46 The Impact of Testing on Students

11:34 Addressing School Policies on Accommodations

19:04 Navigating School Support and Extra Help

20:29 The Reality of Private Education

22:00 Putting Kids First: The Financial Strain

23:16 Understanding Dyslexia and Mental Health

24:47 Creative Learning Strategies for Dyslexic Kids

27:24 The Importance of Engaging with Literature

29:42 Using Technology and Resources for Learning

31:37 Checking In: The Importance of Communication with Kids

 

Transcript:

00:00:07:00 - 00:00:18:18

Unknown

Welcome back to word blindness. Just like to say exposed. I'm Juliet Hon here with Brant Sopel, my co-host. Oh, nice. Sure you got over there using.

 

00:00:18:20 - 00:00:37:01

Unknown

It. Did you get your Curious George, backpack the Velcro on it? Yeah, I know I haven't, but I have it. I literally just put it on next to not be showing up to this golf events on September 15th. Without Curious George in the backpack, I know I will. So this was from Elizabeth and Brant. It is like my favorite shirt.

 

00:00:37:03 - 00:00:54:10

Unknown

And yeah, I used to call Elizabeth. Elizabeth gets the credit for buying shoes. Tying I'll throw on through Amazon. I don't know how you know. I don't know how she gets on to a lot of things that she ends up buying, but that popped up and say, oh, this is perfect. And that was so sweet. And I lost my dress.

 

00:00:54:14 - 00:01:10:22

Unknown

So I was actually wearing it today. And you're like, hey, can we record? And I was like, I don't even have. And then I have this very fun necklace as well that goes with it. I mean, it goes with it. It's just like it's all very curious. I get a lot of questions, Okay. So it goes with it.

 

00:01:10:22 - 00:01:30:19

Unknown

So it's part of my style guide. Well, you need one. I've actually gotten so much better. We should bring up that. No. What was that? What was that? Or a year ago. Yeah, it was two years ago. And I said to Danielle, I was fucking with her, even though she's like, no, you weren't. I was like that.

 

00:01:30:22 - 00:01:54:05

Unknown

Sure, sure you are now. Sure you were. I love how you're backing out our. Yeah, I am backing it out because now I'm very good with my style. So we'll, we'll just we'll just leave it at that. I so we have I mean, we're in season four, which is just incredible crazy. We're full on into school and we have a lot of people that ask us questions.

 

00:01:54:05 - 00:02:19:14

Unknown

And so and this year, I mean, I had said to you, I have all these different things coming up. I told you the first thing and you're like, let's talk about that, because we're getting so much. People are listening to the podcast. People are becoming more aware, which is awesome, which is really awesome. But it is also like, how can we get the answers and get them to people without, you know, being on our phones all the time and not being able to do anything else, you know?

 

00:02:19:14 - 00:02:42:16

Unknown

And this morning I was talking to Tommy and he's like, hey, yo, I got somebody, somebody to introduce. You know, I speaking this lady last night, I used to work with and known for 6 or 7 years, and she's dyslexic and he's like immediately I'm like, hold on, I know this. And he's like, oh, I shouldn't have said that because that sounded like an asshole thing, you know?

 

00:02:42:18 - 00:03:04:03

Unknown

How do I not know? How do I know? You all are like, he's like, but you think, you know, we've done marketing things together and, you know, he's like, I just now that I would have thought, you know what? I saw it. Or I'm like, you know. So it's amazing how many people that since you're involved in foundation and doing these things, how many people are this year?

 

00:03:04:03 - 00:03:31:10

Unknown

It's it's crazy. But I said, you know, back to her. I said, you can't recognize something you don't understand. So, you know, you're never going to catch her, right? Misspelling something or, you know, taking a different approach or taking longer. And, but it was funny, you know, which leads you to this. You just all our conversations is getting people to open their eyes.

 

00:03:31:12 - 00:03:55:13

Unknown

You know, which obviously leads into what we're going to talk about. Because if we didn't do this, you know, we wouldn't have got to the situation that you're going to speak about. Yeah. So okay. So I'll set it up. So I have a friend a long history of family dyslexia and dysgraphia, all these different things, a lot undiagnosed, but one from like a grandparent and then no kids really have had it.

 

00:03:55:13 - 00:04:13:22

Unknown

But one of the kids just came home, had like a paper that they wrote, and they were super proud of it at high school or, you know, high school freshman. School. Yeah, freshman. And yeah. And they haven't really struggled like it was a couple things like, oh, maybe now this is a good friend of mine knows the world that I'm in.

 

00:04:14:04 - 00:04:33:06

Unknown

She knows I mean I've talked to her since we've known her. She's known Montgomery since he was little. So she's been through all of it with me. My point is, a lot of times things get come out as the school gets harder, right? Well, the 100%. And so, I asked that question to preface where we went. So you're going from middle school up now?

 

00:04:33:06 - 00:04:51:16

Unknown

We got to Big Boy pants on now at, at high school. Exactly. And so they were really excited about this paper and they came back and didn't get a great grade on it because a spelling and so my friend was telling me this, and she's like, just pause because I went fucking apeshit, right? I was like, what?

 

00:04:51:18 - 00:05:05:12

Unknown

And I was like, do you know that? That's what happened to me my freshman year? Like, like, oh my God. This is, I was like, you like whatever. So I said and then I'm like, I actually don't know if you can do this. Let me talk to Brant about it. So then when I was talking to you, you're like, let's, let's record.

 

00:05:05:18 - 00:05:28:15

Unknown

So I suggested and it's so it's a private school. While they lay in to go into what happened the next. So then there was a test and they, they and so I also was like, okay, I think the universe is telling you God got the God backing, explained that to it to listeners. Yeah. So there was that multiple choice and it was like global and local and they knew the answer.

 

00:05:28:15 - 00:05:45:21

Unknown

The child knew the answer, but picked global because like it's the spelling thing. And then was like, I knew that, but I don't know why I picked. And so I was like, okay, you you need to you need to get Decatur test it. Like, first of all. And I'm not going to say it again, but and she was like, I know, I know.

 

00:05:46:00 - 00:05:59:21

Unknown

But I said, in the meantime because you can say, like, you're going to get her tested later or whatever, but I really think you need to do it now and get it set up. But I said, and so you I want to know your take on this because I was like, I actually don't know if you can do that.

 

00:05:59:21 - 00:06:25:02

Unknown

So let me find more information about. So it is a private school. So I was like, I think you can go because of your family history. Also, their oldest is in college and is a special ed major specializing in dyslexia and diagnosed the child was like, oh my God, she's totally dyslexic. So I was like, I believe you can get a 504 and put it in and say, we have a doctor's appointment.

 

00:06:25:04 - 00:06:45:19

Unknown

On this date, my child diagnosed, we have family history. These are the things. And take right from there. Like spelling will not be taken out. First of all, like that blows my mind because that angers me so much that they didn't take what this child's paper was, which they were so excited about it, and they took off because of spelling.

 

00:06:45:19 - 00:07:02:15

Unknown

Like also like, hello teacher. Like, okay, you see all these spelling mistakes? Is that something that maybe would be like, hey, wait a second, right. Like that's a lot of spelling mistakes. Not 1 or 2 mistakes. Maybe that's something you talk to the parent about because it is a private school. So it's not like you're tired from the public school thing, right?

 

00:07:02:15 - 00:07:22:23

Unknown

So that's in itself. But also to take off of because the spelling and take away from what the the concept and what the child did, like the creativity. And that is what happened to me. I got slammed for all of that. So everything that I ever did was like, oh, but I got bad grades. And then it was never looked at the creativity.

 

00:07:22:23 - 00:07:44:20

Unknown

And we all know like, you know, that's where I, you know, really was like, I'm not creative because X, Y and Z. Yeah. You're not. You. On your I have more of a problem in, initially I have more of a problem with the fucking test global and, you know, global, right? They were trying to trick me, right?

 

00:07:44:20 - 00:08:08:20

Unknown

You're trying to fucking trick a kid. Like now it's multiple choice, okay? Three. And you're. You're not smart enough, you fucking teacher, to put three different answers. You want to play and fucking play. Fucking peekaboo like trickster. Like we're fucking in kindergarten, you know, playing seven up, thumbs up, heads down, thumbs like you're not crazy enough to come up with fucking three answers.

 

00:08:08:22 - 00:08:26:14

Unknown

Now, I don't know. I don't know if it was a teacher or this was a district or whatever, who. But they were doing it's trying to see if the kids are paying attention, but they're not thinking of the kids that have dyslexia or have something else like, well, you know, a lot of a lot of us said to me last year, too, she was doing great.

 

00:08:26:14 - 00:08:50:10

Unknown

She would have done fucking killer on the final. But she ran into that exact same problem. That like. Paying attention. So you go and flip a word like, how many people just skim, right? How many people that like the Penelope's actually done that? She did that in biology. That's one of the reasons why I was like, I think we need to do something more because she did the same thing.

 

00:08:50:12 - 00:09:07:07

Unknown

She's like, I flipped the thing and then they gave me points off. But it was the same answer. But I just put the one word in front of the other, right? You know, so you lazy fucking teachers, go fuck and fly a kite and fucking fly off to in another fucking world, right? Like you're not crazy enough to come up with three different answers.

 

00:09:07:09 - 00:09:33:12

Unknown

So if you, you know, the kid knows, like, that. Tweet me. First off, your second off, I can answer that question because it's a private school. Okay. Right. Meaning every private school has their freedom to do what they want, right? You can go. You know, I will advisor to go there and and have that conversation.

 

00:09:33:15 - 00:10:01:09

Unknown

Hey, my oldest daughter, is diagnosed with dyslexia. I've got her. You know, the history in my family. I'm going to get x, tested this year, trying to get an appointment. What can we do? You know, I wouldn't, you know, if I wouldn't lock in a 504 right now, because what if it comes back a lot more?

 

00:10:01:11 - 00:10:41:18

Unknown

And that they won't let you go to an IEP and you know, again it sounds stupid, but they're not afraid to do fucking stupid things. Right. And you know how long this conversation is going to take to have. Right. So it's basically if you go we have tested now we're implementing it next year. So I would if, if I were, I would go and have a conversation with, the school, whoever that is is involved talking about the history, to make them aware right of, of what's going on.

 

00:10:41:18 - 00:11:08:02

Unknown

Right, right. And we're going to go and get X now tested this year. Get that, get those results again. As far as you know I've said this down to on blue in the face. You know private schools can do what they want right. Some are awesome right. Right. Some are terrible. Right. But they have the control to do kind of what they want.

 

00:11:08:05 - 00:11:41:16

Unknown

Right. So, and I wouldn't rock the boat quite yet. Yeah. I was like, I do, I need to call. I got so now we know what we're gonna do. And that's coming from me who loves to rock the boat, right? Yeah. I would just, you know, it's an opening conversation. And until you have that, just say, you know you can talk about the history, you can talk about, you know, the two exam, you know, exam in the paper.

 

00:11:41:18 - 00:11:59:13

Unknown

And I just want you to make aware of this, that I am going to get, x tested is there, you know, just be aware that this may be in, in, in, in the, you know, you know, if it's a family history. Yeah. Right. Right. Or this may be, you know, again, as we talk about as I motherfuck teachers, a lot of them don't have a clue what that even means.

 

00:11:59:13 - 00:12:24:22

Unknown

Right. So, it's just kind of opening it up, laying it up there for softball because, you know what? If it comes back as everything that I got, right, all four, 4 or 5 DS right now, it's a different conversation to what we're going to have to do, and it's going to be a longer conversation. And the reason I also say that is because, you know, we're not getting results right to the new year.

 

00:12:25:00 - 00:12:41:08

Unknown

Unfortunately, this isn't a quick thing, right? Pending on how many how extensive this has to be and how many times you got to go over how it's broken up and what's their schedule, what's the doctor schedule? You know, a lot of doctors are broken 90 days. So 120 days out. Right? So not we're not talking to getting tested.

 

00:12:41:08 - 00:12:59:09

Unknown

So again, that's the other reason why I wouldn't come in there. Danza blazing, even though I love to do that, setting up a, you know, a nice little softball laid up there and to open that conversation, because they're going to they're going to come back with, well, where's your test results? You know, that's right. That kind of thing.

 

00:12:59:09 - 00:13:29:06

Unknown

Right. So we're going to get her tested. But I just want you to make aware of our history. Right. All right. That's that's that's a good point. That's why I said let me find out. Because I don't know, because this is what I would I would be screaming and yelling at everyone because, again, because of my traumas. And that's what kind of like my freshman year, you know, my English teacher to me, you know, not, you know, English teacher standing up there and but it's, how I'd love to go guns blazing myself.

 

00:13:29:06 - 00:13:48:01

Unknown

I'll come in there with you, but it's just. No, it's smart. Yeah, it's. Let's be. Let's be smart with it. You know, going in there hot right now without an answer, which we're probably, you know, six months away from that exact answer. Yeah. You know, that just going to make things even worse now if you can just come in there.

 

00:13:48:03 - 00:14:08:02

Unknown

Hey, guys. You know X you know, you know we have a history in our family. You know I my oldest is college right now and you know actually got diagnosed with dyslexia is joint yo. And I think it might be down. You all might be here. Right. And here's what's happening. And here kind of what kind of reaffirmed it.

 

00:14:08:07 - 00:14:27:09

Unknown

So I just want you guys where I don't know. Is there something that we can do. Just pay attention. You know, maybe not. You know spelling can we can be a little bit lighter on that until we get an actual confirmation. But it is in our obviously dyslexia is in our family and is right. It's every. So but be assured going to get our tested so that you understand that.

 

00:14:27:09 - 00:14:44:14

Unknown

And then once we have that we can further, then we'll have that. You know, that's a how I you know, I would go about it. Okay. Keep them in your kind of good graces right now because it's so far out of where we have a definite answer on what that is. Okay. All right. I have another one for you.

 

00:14:44:16 - 00:15:12:12

Unknown

Ready? Now the one bites dust. Another one gone up, one gone. Okay. So another family, another private school. Their child has accommodations. And they use them, but they don't use them forever. Like, they get test extended tests. They have ADHD, and they, I'm not 100% sure. All the things I know that they have accommodations for tests, you know, they have test anxiety.

 

00:15:12:12 - 00:15:36:14

Unknown

But at the end there's I think something else in there. But basically the school email now, the email to everyone and said, if you do not use your accommodations at every point, they're going to be taken away and we're going to log it. And so this this parent said to me, like I talked to my child, they're senior and was like, I don't need extended for some quizzes.

 

00:15:36:16 - 00:15:50:02

Unknown

Like I don't need extended. I don't need to stay in from or go for my study hall to stay in for a quiz, or I don't need the extended time for some things. So I get anxiety at some points. But like if it's a big test, yes, I'm going to use it, but I don't need it all the time.

 

00:15:50:08 - 00:16:03:12

Unknown

And the parent was like, we got like they kind of got into an argument because she's like, well, no, they said they're going to take it away if you don't use it. And the child was like, but that doesn't make any sense. Like, that's not fair. Like I don't need it every fucking time. So like, I want to be able to choose when I need it.

 

00:16:03:12 - 00:16:29:08

Unknown

Isn't that what accommodations for and that that plug back plays right into my, my first answer. Right. Private schools get to do whatever they want. Right. So what they're trying to do is trying to set up the kids right to break with them. Right. So because they don't want to give them to the kids. So you know, you know this person 100%.

 

00:16:29:08 - 00:17:05:16

Unknown

They don't need it like a a quiz or five questions. I don't need to, you know, it's only five questions, right? Or a test of 55 questions. Right? Right. Big difference. Right. Big difference. But they want and they want them to skip one. So they take it away because they don't want to give it. So they're now they're fucking with them like purposely so that, you know, this situation would happen that, you know, he's like, I forgot, you know, I'm just they're not going to catch me or I guess should not catch me right where I just don't need it.

 

00:17:05:16 - 00:17:21:22

Unknown

It's only I'm not going to sit here next to, you know what, 30 minutes or whatever it is. Yeah. Well, they're they're setting them up knowing that they don't use it every time, knowing that they don't have to to to set it up and take it away because they don't want to give it away. So, you know, again, private schools can do what they want.

 

00:17:22:02 - 00:17:45:05

Unknown

Some are great, some are awful. This school is fucking awful because you're trying to set the kid up. You're trying to set the kids up for failure. Meaning one time you don't use what again and how it is. What if it is? You know, let's just say math. And that kid is great at math, right? So I got through real good, right?

 

00:17:45:05 - 00:18:11:22

Unknown

And what if they're terrible English, you know, and terrible things, you know, so this is just a way to set the kids up to, you know, to fail to take away, their. Combinations or whatever the terminology they use. You're in that school, right. And so I was saying I was like, you know, again, I got like really best, but I was also like, it's because and tell me if I'm right or wrong.

 

00:18:12:03 - 00:18:27:10

Unknown

But I was like for them to do an extended time. And the reason why they're trying to like, mess with it is because they have to pay someone extra. So it's all about money. And they were like, I don't think that they have to do that. Like they're it's not, it's not. It's like they use as an excuse.

 

00:18:27:14 - 00:19:00:00

Unknown

I mean, you know, jump on until you heard. Yeah. Because the teachers getting paid anyways. Right. So you know, to pay them time and a half though, like if they're. No, if they're not in there like if they're taken out of like say they're a para. So like a parent, like they're like an assistant like then they go to different classes if say that they're only have and I don't mean to interrupt you, but like if there's like five classes that they have that day, but then there's extended one of the, one of them, they have to go six because it's a class for kids to do extended time.

 

00:19:00:02 - 00:19:15:02

Unknown

Don't they have to pay that parent like an extra? Now you're at night, now you're talking about something a little bit differently, right? You're adding you're adding an extra class in for a teacher. Right. So that's what I was thinking. That's why they're trying to take like catch kids and do that so that they don't have to pay.

 

00:19:15:02 - 00:19:45:00

Unknown

But but a lot of times, you know, that teacher, you know, let's just sit around. We're Elizabeth our time with the other day because where I grew up in, we only had five periods, right. Hour long classes, and an hour and ten minute lunch, I think we had. So. Yeah. Yeah, we had 20 minute lunch. No, we had so we had three classes in the morning, five minute in between first and second period, a ten minute break between second and third.

 

00:19:45:02 - 00:20:12:17

Unknown

And then lunch was an hour hour, ten. And then we had two periods. So a lot of times that, you know, you just stay a little bit longer. All right. So now you have to come. You're still that's still your student. Okay. So it's like, you know, you know, our kids, mom. You know, Montgomery or Penelope or like, hey, I need extra help in my, you know, geometry.

 

00:20:12:19 - 00:20:36:05

Unknown

Can you help me? Yeah. Come to class after. You know, I come to school, right? You know, same, same type of thing. Now, if you make an extra period that, a PA or to a, B or nine A or whatever, Triple-A, whatever you said, where they all take, you know, they all go into a classroom and then, you know, that might be it.

 

00:20:36:05 - 00:21:09:09

Unknown

But even if that's it, what are you talking, $25, $20, right? No, $10, y'all. They're not making, you know, I'm $100 an hour, right? So, like, what are we, you know, financially, what are we actually talking. Right. And how many tests are there. Right. So there's a lot to that. But at the end of the day, this the private schools get to do what they want, how one they want and how they want.

 

00:21:09:11 - 00:21:43:21

Unknown

And nine out of ten times I've think I've found one good private school. The rest have been shit. When it comes to this and, you know, obviously this summer, you know, think, you know, getting into being terrible, obviously, there's a big boarding school, here that I interviewed, you know, just to do hockey, you know, you know, take to coach hockey, right?

 

00:21:43:23 - 00:22:07:18

Unknown

You know, there's the tuition is like $75,000, right? You know, there's 500 kids or something. He had no idea about dyslexia, didn't care about dyslexia. He didn't like the more. And more you dive into it and get into another side of it, there's a very, very small percentage of people that actually care about the kids and not about the paycheck.

 

00:22:07:20 - 00:22:25:11

Unknown

And that's a sad way to think. Now that's true and it's true. And you know you and your you always say I don't like it right. Yeah. We don't like we don't ever want to talk about the, you know like in you your first experience. This is like oh Mrs. So-and-so loves us. You know. Yeah. With Montgomery that was all right.

 

00:22:25:13 - 00:23:06:08

Unknown

Yeah. They love you. But their paychecks more important than, you know, doing what's right. And, you know, unfortunately for me, I usually fuck myself financially because I don't care that I usually put the kids first and right, you know, gasoline. Okay. That's an image, thanks for that. Sorry about that, listeners. You got that visual there? You know, but it's it's so true and sucky because I, I mean, we know I mean, anyone that listens to this knows that I like to I like to see the good.

 

00:23:06:10 - 00:23:23:00

Unknown

I like to see the good, but I do, I know, and not that people don't like to see that, but I'm not saying that you don't like to see the good, but I go in thinking, okay, let's do the good. And it just stings and hurts when you are like, God, it's really it's not about their they can do a very good job.

 

00:23:23:00 - 00:23:41:02

Unknown

School districts of not putting the feelings of the child and just having it as a number. Like they're very good at doing that. I mean a lot. I've talked to so many teachers, I have so many teachers in my family. You know, that some are able to disconnect, but there's a lot that don't. And some of them get out of teaching because they're like, I could not do it.

 

00:23:41:02 - 00:24:02:08

Unknown

Like I couldn't go against the district. They were like, no, you're not allowed to do that. And I'm like, but that kid is struggling. I've got to. I can't just let that kid struggle and then move them on. There's, you know, that it's it's a harsh world. Yeah. You know, and again, I wish I could always, you know, and that's why so many people obviously don't like me because I, I can see it and I call them out.

 

00:24:02:11 - 00:24:31:00

Unknown

Right. And they think I'm the asshole while you're the asshole. Put yourself before a kid. But you know, that's the truth of dyslexia, right? Is they don't understand it. And that's why we do what we do. And that's why we talk the way we talk candidly and, from experience and, you know, it's not fun being 48 years old, you know, talking about my mental health is fucking terrible, right?

 

00:24:31:01 - 00:24:56:15

Unknown

We don't we never want to. Kids that way. Yeah. You know, it doesn't have to go through these things. And the harsh reality is when we say what we say, not purposely to put people down, it's just we're facts and reality and sounds bad because you're not fully engulfed in this world like we are. And it's it's unfortunate.

 

00:24:56:17 - 00:25:23:13

Unknown

Okay. I have another one. Oh I told you I got, I was like I'm going out. You got in there, there was a lot, a lot of things. So I had a DM from a woman that was diagnosed with dyslexia later and she is very involved in her nieces and nephew, who are younger, like, I think it was like five, six, eight, two.

 

00:25:23:13 - 00:25:47:13

Unknown

And for like, whatever, I know I gave a wide range and I in elementary school then. Right? Yes. Thank you. I should just say right in elementary school. And she was saying that the one child is really dyslexic, but really, really, really smart. And she also diagnosed dyslexic or diagnosed dyslexic and she is their main caretaker. I don't know the details of it.

 

00:25:47:13 - 00:26:04:07

Unknown

I don't know what their school is. I don't know where they live or anything. So I don't know if it's a homeschooling situation or whatever, but basically asked how does she keep this kid? Because he asks so many questions. They go to the library, they get encyclopedias. She's like, I can't hardly read them to him because of my dyslexia.

 

00:26:04:07 - 00:26:24:12

Unknown

She's like, so it really is. It's causing a lot of things and I need some activities or ideas for him. So I was like, oh, I love this because books on tape, like books on tape for the two year old, the four year old, I was like, we did Magic Treehouse. This is what I did with Montgomery and my kids.

 

00:26:24:14 - 00:26:47:05

Unknown

It's dad, I told you. That's right, magic Treehouse of magic House. It is the most. It's. Jack and Annie are like the. It's, Her last name is Pope. There's like, like hundreds, but they basically are two characters that go on adventures, but they go back in time or forward and, and I think it's always back in time.

 

00:26:47:11 - 00:27:04:19

Unknown

And they relive history. I know we are feelings of history, but it's really cool for the kids to like, get into these adventures are Jack and Annie go on these adventures and so I've always done these books on tapes with the kids, as listeners know, like in the kitchen. I would have it on when I was cooking dinner and the kids were coloring.

 

00:27:04:23 - 00:27:18:04

Unknown

Anytime we were in the car, I didn't. I actually chose not to get a car with the TV in it because I was like, I want them to look at that. I want I want them to be curious. I want them to ask questions. Yeah. So we were like, one of the only people were like, why not? And I was like, because you wear a tie dye pants and shirt too.

 

00:27:18:07 - 00:27:36:00

Unknown

I did not. And what is the travel on sandals? No. Oh, are you talking about TV? I think we're talking about this. No, I am not a traditional tree hugger, but there's certain things that I do. I'm like, I love that. So yes. And I would have friends that always were like, I came with. So my kids would go into other people's cars.

 

00:27:36:00 - 00:27:53:01

Unknown

Mom, do you know TV? I was like, yeah, and guess what? We could have had a TV. What do you mean? Why don't you TV? I'm like, because Jack and Amy. So we used to listen, even Penelope. But that was where they got their love for reading. I really believe, because these were so much fun. And I would listen.

 

00:27:53:01 - 00:28:14:16

Unknown

I could listen to them over and over. That's where Montgomery learned so much about his vocabulary. So every time he would go in, teachers would be like, he's got such strong vocabulary. It was not I couldn't read to those levels of the chapter books because of my dyslexia. So I did it this way. So I gave her that suggestion and I was like, you know, I'll talk and find other things, but I want you to start with that.

 

00:28:14:16 - 00:28:35:12

Unknown

There's also the Who was series. You want to watch it. So the who was series again how I have I had a TV in my car and I made sure that I unplugged it so that I could put my own movies in and watch my own movies up front. You know, and do not take driving lessons from this one, okay?

 

00:28:35:14 - 00:28:57:10

Unknown

But I listen watching movies while you're driving. I was listening, you know, only ten hours of sitting in traffic. Yeah, I know, I was listening to jacking inning, singing fucking mad. You know, whatever the music going, I'm going to work. I'm, you know, singing. Jack and Annie are you remember pinky blue? Black, yellow. Probably you will. You're those pinky blue.

 

00:28:57:12 - 00:29:17:08

Unknown

Whatever you would have had adventures for these guys. But, you know, I, I, I used to obviously that was bedtime stories. Yeah. That's, you know, again, same concept. I couldn't reach them. Right. So it's and I don't if I told you the story, I was over at, Paul's house maybe about a year ago, and Peter grabbed me a book.

 

00:29:17:08 - 00:29:42:00

Unknown

Want me to read? As we're reading, Paul walks by me, pulls this book out, gives me like a fucking, you know, two year old book. So because I was struggling reading it. Right, right. So I had my characters, you know, pinky, Bluey, yellowy. Pinky, Blackie, Greeny. Those are the characters? Yeah. Pink and blue. We went to Six Flags and, you know, Pinky and Blackie went to the mall, and Bob, you know.

 

00:29:42:00 - 00:30:13:04

Unknown

And so that was bedtime stories, you know, for me, you know, it's. Yeah, you know, probably the books on tape is probably the best. You know, because, you know, being creative, you know, now if you're going to learn, you know, the younger ones, the alphabet or whatever, it's with like little boys, you know, you get a piece of paper, you know, and you write the letters on there and you get them, you know, a getting a punch, a hole in the, you know, in the paper.

 

00:30:13:08 - 00:30:40:11

Unknown

Right. Being boys, being wrong, wrong, wrong bunches. I wanted to, you know. Yeah. Little things like that or you know obviously chalk or your being created to be, to be fun. But the books on tape is probably the easiest and best. And especially now we grew up in the CD age, right? I had 200 CD's. I'm flipping through the big, big and, you know, you can find you know, those books and tapes.

 

00:30:40:11 - 00:30:57:20

Unknown

You can, you know, write in your phone, right? Yeah. You know, okay, can can play with a maybe and you do you can get them on Amazon. Yeah. I don't know if you can do this but the words. Can you do books on tape. Onto the car. Yeah. The car TVs is you're talking where the where words are coming across.

 

00:30:57:20 - 00:31:15:06

Unknown

So I, I did say to I was like you should also if he's that curious get the hardcover so he can also look and follow along. And because he also might want to look at the pictures. Right. So that is one. But so there's something called tumble books. I don't even know if it's still around. But it was all through the library and you basically got free tumble books.

 

00:31:15:06 - 00:31:31:13

Unknown

But they were books that were read. But they actually had them animated. So but they were the animated meaning. But books are my favorite. Yeah, I know, I've learned the pop up books the best where you can like hit something at, oh, I love pop up books. But no, it was basically the book being read, but not like it was.

 

00:31:31:13 - 00:31:47:21

Unknown

It was more graphic. It's not. The characters weren't moving around, but it was flipping the pages and highlighting the words and tumble books could go up to a very, very like. So that's when like, the kids were like the A, level B, level C them, and they could actually do it. That was part of what I used to do for homework for them.

 

00:31:47:21 - 00:31:59:04

Unknown

Like it was like you had to read. I'd be like, okay, let's pick a tumble book that you guys can go and pick your letter. And Montgomery would always be like, I want to do the, you know, the D. And the, you know, the F and the G. And I'd be like, go for it. Who the fuck cares?

 

00:31:59:04 - 00:32:15:01

Unknown

You're not bringing it home. Like you're going to learn more vocabulary. But that is one of the reasons why he had such strong vocabulary is because we did that all the time. I did read, but I couldn't read to a certain I would fall asleep if I was reading a chapter book first of all, and they would take me for it.

 

00:32:15:01 - 00:32:33:11

Unknown

It would be so slow that the kid would be like, this is fucking boring, right? And so those are I gave her some of those ideas, and those like the tumble books. My mom actually used to use for her kindergartners. Like, that's what she would you give the parents be like, you know, sign into the library, and it was free.

 

00:32:33:13 - 00:32:49:19

Unknown

The Jack and Annie stuff. I just would always just be like, okay, which ones? And when I tell you there's like the a, I mean, there's like 15 and like, there's so many there's I want to say hundreds, but I'm, you know, not great with math or maybe like 6 or 7 probably. Now, obviously it's been a few years.

 

00:32:49:19 - 00:33:07:14

Unknown

You know, there's probably expanded. I don't know if she died, but luckily I got I got to look I mean this was like, yeah, I when I tell you even if get it's it's fine. It's almost like a movie. You're like, oh my God, I can't believe they're really good. They're really well-written. Then you can have stories too, that look at Jack and the oh, look at Jack and Annie.

 

00:33:07:17 - 00:33:27:02

Unknown

They're making out in a corner now. You jack in and you're definitely old, though, right? Absolutely. Right. But they they but you also learned so much history. Like, I remember Penelope because she would listen to them like to. And I remember her would come and be like mommy did you know, blah, blah. And I was like, history doesn't exist.

 

00:33:27:04 - 00:33:47:23

Unknown

I know how you feel. Were you there? No. But Jack in anywhere? No. They weren't. How do you know? Because Christopher Columbus came across. Know who? What? Who saw him. What do you want? I could, I hear you. I could go and talk about my unicorn stuff and say that certain spirits, people all can be Ricard nominated.

 

00:33:47:23 - 00:34:08:20

Unknown

And maybe they came back and. And what? So Christopher came along and said, hey, guys, I was here. So here. Yeah. To someone, he's like, I dreamed this, I don't know, but you're right. You are totally right. Because it is very subjective. Like, how do we really actually know? So I think that's probably the best. You're again. Now you know how much time everybody spends in the car, right.

 

00:34:08:20 - 00:34:36:00

Unknown

Traffic driving somewhere. I remember, you know, back then there's no TVs. There's no cell phones. I spy with my little eye. You know, all those little games that we use, your use of plan, you know? Yeah. License. Got to be fucking looking to. Yeah, we'd have maps for the map and, you know, so that's probably the best and easiest and easiest access, you know, and, you know, for her, because obviously we're not going to sit down and crush off that, chapter book.

 

00:34:36:02 - 00:34:52:15

Unknown

Yeah. So I literally that was just yesterday. So I haven't heard back from them, but I yeah, I was like that I think is especially for curious kids that and you're like, fuck I don't know right. I can't, I can't answer all these questions. But also like you can come up with questions and then go to Google. I mean, that's the thing.

 

00:34:52:17 - 00:35:13:18

Unknown

You know, when we were young, I mean, I mean, we obviously had the internet, but like when Penelope and that they were young, but when we were getting their degrees, you spent 20 minutes loading, right? Yeah. Not good things, right. Yeah. Oh my god. But like when our parents like the questions, I'm sure, like, I know my parents still, they'll be like, gosh, you asked so many questions.

 

00:35:13:19 - 00:35:33:04

Unknown

Why? When the kids are in the why phase, I wanted to punch every one of my kids. But why just shut the fuck up just cuz I tired. But why? But why? Oh, I had an answer. I had an answer for everything, oh I didn't, why am I not surprised? Just like you know there is not a plane in this world that you get on, you know, leave with a plan, friend.

 

00:35:33:06 - 00:35:56:11

Unknown

Right? And I make plain friends in other people's. My. Yeah. Because I like to. I'm curious. This is why curious George? But no, I think this is for people. These are some really good tips to think about as you're in school. But again, check in with your student, just check in, see how they're doing, if they're coming home grumpy or seeming.

 

00:35:56:11 - 00:36:24:00

Unknown

And yes, teenagers are grumpy just because of hormones, but there could be something else going on and just kind of check in with them and see how they're doing. Like, I'm one, we have something called Power School, and I have friends that are like, I check powerschool everyday. I don't fucking check power ever. Like I don't. I trust that my kids are doing what they're supposed to be doing, but like if all of a sudden someone's coming back to you and a little bit grumpy and you're not, you're like me and you're not going and checking in powerschool like, you know, these are the kinds of times you don't have to check in with teachers.

 

00:36:24:00 - 00:36:50:05

Unknown

You can kind of look at shit, you know, even even checking power school doesn't check like there's cheating. There's, you know, so that necessarily doesn't, you know, it's you know, I talked to them on the other day, your kid comes home obviously rambunctious and just goes fucking awa. But like loves going to school kindergarten. Right. So I'm like that's a win.

 

00:36:50:07 - 00:37:09:03

Unknown

Yeah. The yes they spend the day focusing and enjoying school. And then unfortunately and that's home. That's a safe space. That's where they know they can go crazy you know. But the fact you know it's a win that they are excited to go right. Like that little thing tells me everything you need to know. Right. So it's exactly the little things like that.

 

00:37:09:03 - 00:37:28:09

Unknown

No matter if you're you're in kindergarten or you're senior high school, you're asking these questions. You can find out a lot by a little answer. Yeah, right. My stomach hurts. I don't feel like going to school. Dig into that a little bit. Dig into that. Always I always do. Yeah, always dig into that. Especially, you know, at any time.

 

00:37:28:09 - 00:37:41:11

Unknown

But also the other thing is, as school goes on, I think it is important. Like there's so many, you know, parents that would be like, well, no, if my kid asked to take off like but again, check, like if my kids are like, hey, I need I need a day off. I'm like, you need one day off. Great.

 

00:37:41:11 - 00:37:57:00

Unknown

Take a day off. If you if you can say that you're allowed to take a day off. Just as long as you get your fucking shit done. But, like, why? What's going on? Why do you need a day off? I'm just burnt. I don't want to do it right. I'm just tired. But if there's more to it, especially in the younger years when it's like, I don't want to go to school because my stomach hurts.

 

00:37:57:02 - 00:38:23:19

Unknown

There's something inside the stomach or the headache. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So definitely check in. We will come back to you next week with some more, more answers to the questions that we're getting. And, just, I mean, again, you got to check in. Check in with your your kid. If you are finding that they're not opening up, you got to you got to do a little bit more digging, especially if they're coming home.

 

00:38:23:19 - 00:38:37:19

Unknown

But what do I was I like review and share because you don't know who needs to hear this and stay curious.

 

00:38:37:21 - 00:38:38:02

Unknown

And.