I love
My child does best emotionally when given learning material with their readiness level. (The term 'readiness level' isn't widely know, but if the person askes it gives you a great opening to share your specific and concrete examples of what you child already is doing academically at home or in other settings)
I want my child to learn how to learn.
I want my child to learn an age appropriate amount of frustration tolerance.
I want my child to develop good work ethic.
It's also ok to share that you have an aunt (or whatever) who breezed through elementary school getting A+s for work that didn't she barely lifed a finger to complete and then (whatever terrible thing happened.)
It's especially good to talk about 'cute stories' when dear child blossomed socially while playing with older kids (with details of what made the play complicated or advanced) or doing advanced school work (with details so that you don't have to say that it's advanced, the audience will just get shivers).
I think my high school writing course told me to 'show not tell' the audience. Not bad advice for advocacy. In the ideal situation your role would be to share 'cute stories' and ask questions until the teacher or principal was demanding that you allow them to take action.
Sadly, there are many years that even with all the correct words, I still wasn't successful at advocacy. Sometimes the school just doesn't have what the child needs, and sometimes they just can't be sold on my vision of who my kid is and what he needs.
Love and More Love,
Grinity
Best Wishes,
Grinity
