So my daughter is a runaway. It is about the most helpless feeling a father could have in prison. I cant help her. She is, step for step, re-living my childhood.
I knew early in grade school I was gona have problems. I didnt learn the same way most kids did, by sitting still and absorbing information from a book or listing to a teacher drone on. I knew I was different.
Im watching my daughter struggle with my learning issues.
The problem With public schools, and most schools in general, is that they dont have The staff, funding, or compacity to address all the differnt learning styles Human beings use to absorbe and retain information. They simply address the “majority learning style”, leaving the smaller percentage of children to struggle, fall behind, become frustrated and even drop out.
My daughter didnt know how to ask for help or address the issue. So she Started skipping school. Her mom and grandmother tried to force her to go and face the frustation and humiliation of not understanding, not being abel to perfom and accell.
And at that age all you want to do is fit in and be accepted. Nobody wants to feel stupid or inferior. So she did what I did at that age and skipped untill she felt the same frustration and shame at home that she Did at school. Then she started running away.
I didnt realize in time that History way repeating itself again.
Now she has been a 15year old runaway for a couple weeks now and I have no way to contact her. No way to tell her there is a better way and that I understand what she is going through. I feel like I failed her again.
Wish kids came with a manual, or maby that I was just more responsible in choosing when and with who to have them with. Hind sight, 20/20.
I miss my daughter. She is my best friend, so awsome. Im a sad daddy.
Please come home Riley……..We can figure this out together.
Todd Bass
DOC #861671
What a sweet sad story. It is a shame that schools don’t address the different learning styles. God bless you and your daughter, I hope it all ends well. <3