In 2014, Our daughter Danielle started 1st grade at an elementary school.  She was thrilled and made friends easily.  She even had friends over occasionally. She was invited to other people's houses and birthday parties.  I called her my social butterfly, but she had a bully. At times, after school, she would tell me that a kid would tease her, step on her feet, and pull her hair on purpose.  I didn't think much of it, kids being kids.  But Danielle didn't agree, I thought she had a great first year of school that year.  I told her if it continued the next year, I would do something or at least say something to the teacher, counselor, etc. 

In August 2015, school started back earlier in the week.  It was a Friday morning Craig had just come home from work.  Danielle and I were getting ready to bring her to school.  She noticed that he wasn't feeling well and was concerned.  He drove himself to the hospital where later we found out that he had a heart attack as he arrived the hospital.  Danielle being the concerned child she is/was, didn't want to go to school that day.  She wanted to be with her dad.  However, I promised to call her as soon as I knew what was going on and how he was.  I dropped her off at school and went straight to the hospital in the next town over, where I found out that he was being transferred.  The local hospital was not equipped to handle his case.  Needless, to say the new hospital watched him all weekend and performed quadruple by-pass surgery on the following Tuesday.  

The next eight months were hard because Danielle was worried about her dad... and she was still being bullied by the same kid from the year before.  I spoke to the teacher, and she stated that she would watch the children but she hadn't noticed anything unusual.  About a week or two later, things were getting even worse for Danielle.  More bullying, she was crying when she came home, and she didn't want to go to school.  I found myself back at the school again, this time to speak to the counselor and the principal.  By the time, the end of the school year came, nothing had been done or said to the child or parents.  I was told the child had ADHD and autism and that nothing could be done.  The last day of 2nd grade in May 2016, was the last time Danielle or I set foot in a public school.  I have been homeschooling Danielle and her younger sister since.

Click on Homechooling at the top if you are interested in joining us on our journey.