I provided my 2E son who has sensory issues and motor dyspraxia and hypotonia with the support and nurturing he needed in order to learn--support that public schooled kids in my area don't receive, so some people would probably call it hothousing.

I remember being called a "hothouse plant" by my 3rd grade teacher. I was a very shy, sensitive child who preferred to read or watch other kids instead of running around playing at recess. I was sick every morning before school that year because of my anxiety, but I was still able to learn enough that I was at the highest reading level in the class even though I was one of the youngest kids in the class. I did not have my son's sensory issues or hypotonia and I could color in the lines and draw and write well so I at least fit in that way.

Even though I almost always made straight A's, I think my anxiety caused me to not learn as much as I could have. I wanted my son to be free to learn as much as he wanted without dealing with the anxiety that I knew would result from being different in a school where different kids are bullied. My experience in school helped me make the decision to homeschool, but my anxiety keeps me wondering if I am doing the right things to prepare him for life.

I didn't have to teach him to read. He somehow learned to read and spell on his own at two even though his eyes tired quickly because he has always had that incredible desire to learn.

My "hothouse plant" seems to be thriving so I don't care what other people think.