My Daughter's Gift

This is sort of an update, but sort of a brag seeing my family last year was thrown into a clusterfuck because of my youngest step-daughter's severe mental illness, previously noted here and we haven't had anything to brag about in a long time.So, over the past year, my now 15-year-old step-daughter has had seven hospitalizations, two assault and battery charges, and has been kicked out of her mom's house since she can't handle her. As a result, she's back with her dad and I. We're back to homeschool seeing not doing so would lead to greater issues.This past weekend we were at her art instructor's house for some projects. She, by nature, is an artist and we've centralized her homeschool curriculum to her strengths and things that are practical in adult life. Her instructor, on a whim, handed her a violin after tuning it. It was the first time I actually saw her interested in something outside her phone. She messed with it for a few minutes learning finger positions for notes and, played Ode to Joy and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star from ear. She's a natural!On the way home, she said that it's the first thing she's actually enjoyed in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, we've finally reached the turning point. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2Q8gFTK