When you're ready

I had to make a decision - to keep trying or to give up.
Sam had to make a decision - to keep trying or to give up.

Sam gave up.
Then I gave up.

Giving up was the best decision I made in a while.


...

Sam loves hearing me read.
I've been wanting to "encourage" him to take the next step.
Sam is at the stage where he is so close to being able to sound out words by himself.
So this evening, while I was tired (yeah, Mistake #1) I thought he could have a go.

So the book a Thomas the Tank Engine book. It was titled "Sir Handel".

Sam got "S-i-r".
Before he tried the second word, Sam then gave up.

I tried to nudge him to try but he would not.
For some reason I decided that he had to at least try, or we would not read the book tonight.
Mistake #2.

To me, this was an important lesson too! You've got to at least give it a go!
(It seemed so reasonable at the time.)

...

Sam was distraught. He wanted to go to bed. He didn't want to "Read", at least not how I was showing him.
I was over it too. I knew he could make every one of those sounds.

When he eventually settled down, I asked him, and he said he didn't like reading!

Warning. Danger. Warning. Danger.
I stopped in my tracks.

Moments later, I decided to do a complete backflip on my decision. I perked up, smiled at him and said, "Sam, let me just read this story to you tonight."

NO! Sam didn't want to go through the trauma again.

I read the title of the book out loud. "Sir Handel".  "S-i-r H-a-n-d-e-l".
Sam laughed. A laugh of relief.

I kept reading. And Sam sat with me as I read.
We finished the whole book. He loved it.

...

For a moment this evening, I was about to trade in the boy's delight in reading for a stupid challenge I made up on the spot.

I didn't mean to exert pressure to push him along. But I quickly found myself doing that exact same thing.  

...

Sometimes it's better to let things go at their natural pace. And that's the fastest way.