Overwhelming?

Sometimes looking ahead is overwhelming. I'm a pretty laid back person,, so sometimes I wonder if I really have what it is going to take to be the advocate I need to be for Aily. I'm stubborn as a mule, sure, but mules pull, they don't push. I have never had to push my oldest girl, she's been ready for anything from day one and dragging me behind all the way. My middle girl is perfectly content to take her own sweet time at things...it's just that her sweet time runs a little faster than normal time and she is consistently far ahead of her peers, and my readiness. I have no experience on pushing, so I guess I will just have to pull.

When Brianne, my oldest girl, started kindergarten she had never had daycare or preschool, the fact of which I made sure her teacher was aware. She was smart and knew all the basics, but her social skills were not quite on par as she hadn't been around many kids her own age. She kept getting in trouble with her teacher. Everyday her teacher had some new complaint, finally a meeting was called by the principal. It was Brianne's father and I, her teacher, the principal and vice principal, the school counselor, and the district head counselor.  It was a very long, and at times very heated meeting. I didn't know anything about laws regarding public education or any of that stuff, but I knew my girl. I knew how smart she was, I knew how fast she could learn things, and I knew if they'd give her a chance she would do well. Her teacher was angry, at her wits end and did not want Brianne in her class; her father was offended and angry, and taking it as a personal; the principal, vice principal, and school counselor didn't seem to know what to think. Finally the district counselor gave her opinion, and it became clear that she had final say over the schools employees, Brianne would remain where she was, all she needed was to be given time to acclimate and develop her social skills. I nearly jumped for joy

I know that when it is time for Aily to start school there will be a lot to work out, and when that time comes I am determined that I will be prepared. Until then it is all I can do to push her to keep developing the skills she will need to succeed.