This week I had to make one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make when it comes to my kids' schooling. A part of me felt sick to my stomach, but the other part of me was selfish and felt the need to protect my twins from other students horrible rude words as they get older.
The 3 younger kids started a new school this year that has a different way of teaching, which has taken the twins on a rollercoaster ride learning how the phonogram system works (which I STILL don't understand how to do it). This school bases their whole criteria on this particular phonics program, so when the kids don't know how it all works, it dramatically affects their grades. Alexa has been struggling just to get by and these past few months have made it clear she will have to be held back and repeat 2nd grade again. Tyler on the other hand is doing better.
My fear is that they will be teased and made fun of because they are twins in seperate grades, twins who will not graduate together. After talking to several people & teachers, we have decided to hold tyler back as well. I know this just sounds aweful, but they have an incredible bond as twins and I am just so scared as to what this will do to them in the future. Will alexa one day feel like the dumb one?? Will kids make fun of them?? I feel confident that this will be the best thing for them in the long run and I feel they are still young enough where many people won't say things to them yet.
After talking with Tyler's teacher, she agreed that this would be so beneficial for Tyler as well, since he is just squeaking by. Like I said, I was feeling just sick about this until she explained to me how exactly it is that their birthdays play a huge roll in their development. If you have a 9month old baby and a newborn baby, obviously the 9mo old will be more developed and advanced then the newborn...BUT...they will BOTH start school at the same time. WHOA! My twins are the newborns. So really, they have done phenominal thus far and will even be more succesful having one more year to learn all this stuff over again. She has also so graciously agreed to be the kids' teacher next year...we just love her!
