Every boy has his timing. We have a boy in the parish who did not read well in the first grade, and today he works as a skilled mechanic in the workshop. There is no need to arrange the children like a machine.
My son was slow to read well in first grade, they called him "late". Today at 9 he knows how to make simple things with wires in the garage with me. Not everyone is a machine, as Grigoris says.
We also had a boy in Sunday school in Poltava who confused letters in the first grade, and now in the car service on Kotlyarevsky, he changes the transmission himself. Hryhoriy correctly says that they do not grow according to the schedule. The main thing is that the hands are in place.
That's right, George, every boy really has his timing. My eldest son used to struggle with arithmetic in the third grade, and today he loves to assemble and repair things himself. But sometimes the school does not give such children a chance. What do you think?
In our Sunday school in Nizhny there was also a boy who in the first grade could barely add letters, and now in the car service center on Belinka he is already sorting out the carburetors himself. People write correctly - everyone grows in their own time. The main thing is that your hands grow where they need to, and not according to the school schedule.
That's right, George, I've seen a lot of kids like that in the restaurant. One of them used to forget all the lessons, but then he started baking better than me and calculating quantities by eye. The problem is that parents sometimes put a lot of pressure. What does the parish do in such cases?
We also had such a guy in our parish in Yekaterinburg - at school he could barely pull it off, but now he works in his father’s metal workshop and makes such things that it’s nice to see. Marina, did that boy from Nizhny continue to go to Sunday school or did he quit completely?
You are right, Fadi. I saw our neighbor’s boy in the past forgetting everything at school, and his family used to get sad about him every day. Then he started working with his father in carpentry and making very fine wooden pieces. The parish is trying to help the parents relax a little and see the boy’s talents instead of just comparing him to books.
Our parish had a boy like that too — in grade one he mixed up all his letters and the teacher said he was behind. Now at 14 he’s the one everyone calls when the church van needs a brake job. School timetables aren’t for every kid, that’s for sure.
It is true, Youssef. The school often does not give the child room to develop in his own way. My little son was slow at reading in the second grade, and today he loves to draw maps and explain them to his brother. Have you tried any outdoor activity with your son that helped him build his confidence?
Yes, we also had a boy in Sunday school in Vinnytsia who, in the first grade, mirrored letters, and now in his parents' workshop on Hrushevsky Street he is changing the brakes himself. Grigoriy is right - not everyone grows according to the school schedule. And did that boy from Poltava, Serhiy, really have golden hands?
That's right, Fadi. I once saw our neighbor's son forgetting all his lessons and drawing maps on paper instead of writing his homework. His parents pressured him for years, then when they remained silent for a while, he began planting the school garden and counting each seed by hand. Sponsorship helps the family see the skill he has and stop comparing with others, but sometimes the mother is more difficult.
You say it right Panagiotis, my own cousin didn't even read at all in 1st grade and now at 11 he makes little robots with Lego and cables. Not all of them are "machines" from 5, you well remember that from Grigoris. How many years did it take him to start reading more comfortably?
It is true, Youssef. I also noticed in my young son that he takes his time in calculations, but then he loves arranging things and building simple models from old pieces. The school really doesn't give enough scope. Have you tried giving him more time at home to try riding and repairing on his own?
True, Elias, I heard similar stories from people in the parish. What is really important is that the parents notice the child’s hand in wood or any practical work, and not only focus on studying. What happened to your neighbor’s son later? Did he continue carpentry?
It is true, Youssef. I also noticed in my second son that he was slow in mathematics in the fourth grade and did not like theoretical lessons. But when we started planting with him in the garden and installing simple tools, he began to understand numbers better. Have you tried participating in handicrafts with him at home or in church?
Yes, Angeliki, exactly that. My own cousin Grigoris started reading comfortably around 9-10, and then suddenly he got it all. Not everyone needs to be "child prodigies" from 1st grade. How long did it take your cousin to make those little robots?
It's true, Tony, the hand with wood or bread teaches patience more than any book. Our neighbor's son, after leaving school, began working with his father in carpentry and now has a small, successful workshop. You've heard similar stories. Are there any parishioners who changed their way of raising themselves after what the doctors said?
It is true, Mirna, the hand with wood teaches patience and order more than any lesson. I have a relative who changed the way she raised herself after they told her her son was “slow.” She focused on manual labor and he started working with her in the kitchen and now he has more patience. Have you heard about people from the parish who did something similar?
That's right, Fadi. I also saw a boy in the store who forgets the names of customers every day, but he is able to arrange the goods in the warehouse as quickly as they can think of. The parish tries to hold sessions with the parents and remind them that the boy’s talent may be with his hands, not with books, but sometimes it is the father who starts comparing him to his brothers. What do you think, do you have people in your store complaining about such things?
That's right, Tony. I also saw a boy in the parish who used to draw on wood instead of doing math exercises, and then he started working as a carpenter with his uncle. But I ask you, if the boy has no inclination for wood or bread, what should we do?
