The 1 Thing All Parents Must Know

From a book on entrepreneurship...

Richard Branson (Virgin) has dyslexia.

Pete Cashmore (CEO, Mashable) finished high school two years late due to childhood illness.

Colin Powell (Retired General) was a solid C student.

From other recent news...

Carly Simon (singer) has dyslexia and stuttered as a child.

Jim Henson (The Muppets) had Asperger's Syndrome.

J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) suffered from depression.

Diagnoses. Labels. Obstacles. Set-backs.

So what's the point?

It's that your child -- no matter what -- has the capacity to succeed. And it rests on your belief that this is so.

Different levels, different services, different interventions, different outcomes? Sure. But it's your relentless pursuit of progress and not taking "no" as an answer...this is what makes the difference.

It's easy to get sidetracked. Become discouraged. Even start to believe those who may tell you progress is difficult, minimal, or not possible. It's like rejecting any notion -- you simply do.

School's job is to prepare your child for life. Life is complex. And so is advocating for your child's needs. Believing that progress is possible is the strongest possible motivator, especially when others may be saying or implying otherwise.

It's the start of another school year and with it comes my wish for progress for your children. For some, it'll require you to advocate in ways you were never prepared to do. For others, you'll be challenging assumptions and pre-conceived notions based upon your child's needs. For many, you'll be pushing when some may well expect - and hope - you do otherwise.

So what's the 1 thing you need to know?

That your child's ability to make progress rests on your belief that you'll accept nothing less. And that you'll be measuring, tracking, and holding others accountable for such. The day-to-day often clouds the goal, but keep your eyes on the horizon.

You know that wonderful Dr. Seuss book - Oh, The Places You'll Go? Keep this as your motto. Because you never know - nor does anyone else - where your child will go.