I have shared a lot about our struggles with third grade.
The homework. The higher expectations. The IEP meetings. The overwhelm of trying to prepare for challenges I couldn’t yet see coming.
As we near the very last day of third grade, I am feeling more emotional than I expected.
And honestly, I’m struggling to figure out why.
Did I love third grade?
Absolutely not.
There were a lot of struggles. A lot of things I wish I had known to include in my daughter’s IEP. Many emails and conversations with her teacher and school support team. More than a few moments where I wondered how we were all going to make it through the year.
And yet, here I am feeling a little melancholy that it’s ending.
My little girl is about to become one of the older kids in elementary school.
Our school only goes through fifth grade. Then comes middle school.
I’ve never been someone who misses stages of childhood.
Most of the time, I’m ready to move on. Ready to leave behind whatever challenges we’ve been facing and see what comes next.
But elementary school feels different.
I LOVE elementary school.
Love it.
Elementary school still feels personal. When I walk through the office doors, people know my daughter’s name. They know her struggles. They know her strengths. Her teacher and I communicate regularly. The principal isn’t just a name on a website. The people supporting her feel like part of our team.
Two years is all we have left at this amazing school.
Two years suddenly doesn’t feel like very much time.
Maybe it is hitting harder because she caught up this year.
Yep, my daughter with dyslexia, ADHD, and anxiety is now working right alongside her third-grade peers.
I could not be more proud of her hard work and determination.
She has attended tutoring twice a week starting in first grade. She leaned on her IEP supports. She worked through frustration, exhaustion, and plenty of moments when things felt harder for her than for everyone else.
Now, for the first time in a long time, all of that hard work is showing.
Third grade wasn’t just hard—it was transformative.
If you’re in the middle of tutoring appointments, IEP meetings, school emails, or wondering whether all the extra support is making a difference, I understand.
I’ve spent years wondering the same thing.
There were times when progress felt painfully slow and moments when it seemed like everyone else was moving forward while we were standing still.
This year, for the first time, I got to see many of those pieces come together.
Not because the challenges disappeared.
Not because everything suddenly became easy.
But because all of those small efforts—tutoring sessions, accommodations, teacher support, therapy appointments, and everyday perseverance—added up over time.
If you’re in the thick of it right now, don’t underestimate the value of the work you’re doing.
For years, I’ve been advocating, worrying, attending meetings, helping with homework, and wondering if she would ever catch up.
Then suddenly, she does.
Instead of feeling only relief, I find myself looking around and realizing that the people who helped get her here won’t be part of our daily lives forever.
Maybe that’s what I’m really grieving.
Not third grade itself.
Not the homework battles.
Not the spelling tests.
Not the endless emails and IEP conversations.
I’m grieving the realization that this chapter won’t last forever.
For years, I’ve been focused on helping my daughter get through the next challenge, the next school year, and the next hurdle.
Somewhere along the way, I forgot that these elementary school years would eventually become memories too.
Third grade stretched us in ways I never expected.
But it also gave us something I wasn’t sure we’d ever see.
Confidence.
My daughter worked incredibly hard this year. She grew. She persevered. She proved to herself that she can do hard things.
And maybe that’s why I’m feeling emotional.
Because while I’m excited to see what’s next, part of me wants to stay here just a little longer.
What stage of your child’s childhood surprised you by becoming one you’ll miss?
Parenting a neurodivergent child can feel overwhelming, especially when progress comes in tiny steps. If you’re navigating ADHD, dyslexia, school supports, IEPs, or the everyday realities of raising a child who learns differently, I’d love to have you join me. I’ll share the struggles, the victories, and everything in between.
Mindful Momma Moments 
Leave a comment