Last night we took an important step: we bought a homeschool literacy course for our oldest son. It was an investment that took a bit out of our usual budget, but we felt it was necessary.

We want to prepare ourselves as best we can to begin his homeschooling. The interesting thing is that the course uses a phonetic approach, which also makes it especially useful for children with Down syndrome. This means that, when the time comes, it could also be a key tool in the development of our youngest son, who has a cognitive disability.

We have several challenges ahead.

The first is language. We are in Brazil, and although we are functionally fluent in Portuguese, it is not our native language. This represents an additional obstacle both in understanding the materials and in applying the method fluently and confidently. Teaching and learning in a non-native language requires extra effort, especially when it comes to something as delicate as literacy.

Then there are the schedules. Our youngest son requires a lot of encouragement, therapy, and presence. Their pace is different, and that forces us to organize our days much more carefully, trying not to neglect their needs or the learning process of the eldest.

And of course, there are the resources. Purchasing the course was just the beginning. There will be more materials, perhaps books, printouts, visual or auditory support tools… That's why we're reviewing our expenses, adjusting the family budget, and looking for ways to optimize what we have.

I know there are tough days ahead. I know there will be moments of tiredness, doubt, even frustration. But we're convinced it's worth it.

We chose this path because we want to be present, involved, and give our best. It won't be easy. But if there's one thing we're sure of, it's that our children's future is worth everything.

We're ready. With fear, yes. But also with faith. And we're going to give it our all.

If you've already worked on literacy at home and have some recommendations, please be sure to write them here for me. I'll be giving some feedback here later when we start on how it didn't go.