Olmstead Family Testimonial
My name is Susan Olmstead, and my husband Rudd and I are blessed with three children: Verity (12); John (9); and Giselle (6). I grew up in a large, intense, Texan family before marrying a marine and working as a cardiac nurse. A few years passed before we started a family. We thoroughly enjoyed the cute kiddos but as they grew, I worried about their education and secretly wished to find a school that could take the responsibility off our hands. We had no idea the lessons that were in store for us!
As John grew, my health struggled and our resources were diverted along that vein. By the time we moved to the desert of Southern California, my health was depleted and Verity and John stepped into the public school system. Overtime, we grew increasingly concerned about what we were witnessing in the school. Verity seemed to regress in her reading, and so when COVID hit, we decided to try homeschooling.
Starting out in 2020, homeschool life was rewarding. The kids’ bright personalities resurfaced, and they were bursting with creative energy again. However, overtime, I noticed Verity still wasn’t progressing in her reading. Year after year, we tried reputable curricula and popular co-ops. I even reached into our savings and bought out an entire PreK-5th grade Montessori school when it closed after COVID! Just the same, Verity continued to struggle with her reading.
At this point in time, our days consisted of me coaxing my kids into finishing school assignments. Verity would read a page and cry in frustration. In fact, she cried easily in any subject as soon as she stumbled over a new fact – her confidence was bankrupted (much like my own). I was so tired by the time school was finished, that I’d retreat to my room for a spell, scrolling through my phone in vain. Unsurprisingly, housekeeping took a backseat which made everything worse. Most concerning to me of all was that I felt the connection with my kids was slipping away. At night, I lay in bed, thinking about the future and silently crying. Our homeschool life was nothing like what I had hoped for.
In the summer of 2023, I urgently hoped for a breakthrough (Rudd was deployed for a year and from experience, I knew I needed to offload some stress STAT). I suddenly remembered a friend had mentioned how NACD helped her grandson. I curled up on the couch in the living room, and began scrolling through the website, reading testimonies, and listening to videos. I felt a glimmer of hope and scheduled a consultation. From that moment on, my life has felt like a ship emerging from a storm, steadily sailing towards the NACD lighthouse.
I learned quite a few things from implementing our NACD program. Firstly, it‘s a wonder how much my behavior effects my children’s ability to process and learn. Of course, the coaches were more subtle and didn’t come right and say it. They were full of helpful, creative ideas for whenever my kids (and I) would get stuck. Another surprise was learning how important it was to have fun and to play with the children throughout the school day. As a result, my connection with the kids has been revitalized and our relationships have thrived. I’ve also learned how effective it is to lavish attention when my kids achieve something positive. What a difference a well-timed compliment makes to boost their confidence and initiative. Similarly, we are learning the value of incentives. I wasn’t raised this way and thought the rewards would spoil the kids. Instead, they are hungry for ways to earn and negotiate for more. I often hear Bob’s voice in my head, “Look for ways to celebrate and build them up,” and sternly, “Don’t teach unless you’re having fun!” Hardly a day passes that I don’t recall something helpful from a coach or evaluator.
In the summer of 2024, having worked with NACD less than a year, it was fun to welcome my husband back from deployment to a completely different home. The kids are more confident and a bigger help around the house. Verity loves to read books and gets a thrill out of figuring out difficult words. I can stick to a schedule and play with my children without feeling exhausted by day’s end. I am so grateful for all the skilled support, insightful feedback, and timely encouragement we’ve received from the NACD professionals. The phenomenal lighthouse crew has brought us ashore. We found our resting place and I’m excited for the future!
