It's never easy hearing that your child is falling behind their peers at school.
Kristina Hammer was devastated when she heard that her son was doing just that, and has written a blog about her experience.
Like most mums, her first instinct was to question what she had done wrong.
"My four kids have owned more books than I have in my entire lifetime, which is a lot because I love to read," she wrote on Scarymommy.com.
"My children have been read to consistently since birth. They see their father and I reading often and learning to do new things through the wonders of the internet."
"We do math in front of them, talk current events, and encourage their exploration of nature, mechanics, and mess-making fun. Where did we go oh so wrong then, to have a child who is not only failing school, but hates it too?"
While she did everything she could to instill a love of learning in her kids, Kristina is quick to point out that she never expected too much.
"It matters not whether my kid makes it on the honor roll or pulls a straight C- average as long as he shows up to learn and gives it his all," she wrote.
But her son fails to do that, she writes.
"Routines are in place, homework agendas are being strictly monitored, communication lines with his teacher are open, and he has a place to do his schoolwork away from distractions in our home," she wrote.
"He is his own worst enemy."
Despite acknowledging this, Kristina went on to admit that she instinctively blamed herself.
"When your child's teacher is telling you that he is sabotaging himself, action must be taken. Something is not working right inside my son, and it needs to be handled with care....my baby has come to hate his schoolwork so much because something isn't writing right in his brain, causing him to destroy the learning process for himself."
Kristina knows her son "has it in him" to do well at school, so she has made a series of appointments with experts to help them tackle whatever is wrong with her son.
Knowing that the issue is being tackled has put Kristina's mind at rest somewhat - but what really helped her to feel better were the words that her son's teacher said to her.
Seeing Kristina struggling not to cry, the teacher said: "Only a good mother would truly care so much to be as visibly hurt as you are by the situation."
"As I push my tiny chair back and release myself from its hold, I thank her through the tears in my eyes. She pulls me directly into a hug so warm and comforting," she wrote.
"Then she said 'I know you want to blame yourself. I now you think you've failed your son and this is all somehow your fault but it's not."
"And only a great mother would sit here with the tears that tell me so, desperate to break down the situation and fix it in one fell swoop. You are that great mother, and you are the greatest mother your child could ever have to face this situation with. You are amazing. Don't ever doubt yourself again."
Kristina finished the post by saying that she couldn't promise self-doubt won't rear its ugly head again, but that she would carry the teacher's words with her no matter what happens in the future.
"Because I am a great mother to one fantastically awesome boy who will have my heart forever - even if, just temporarily, he is failing school."
