Television personality Frankie Bridge has opened up about the emotional challenges her family has faced after her son Carter was diagnosed with dyslexia, revealing he has been refusing to attend school.
The Heartbreaking School Struggles
In a candid YouTube video, the 36-year-old Loose Women star and mother-of-two became tearful as she described feeling "helpless" after Carter, who is now nine, had a tearful meltdown about returning to class. She admitted it had been a "battle" to secure the necessary help for him. Frankie explained that Carter had cried for an hour about going back to school, a pattern that had developed after weeks of him struggling in his lessons.
"He's been crying about going back into school quite a lot," Frankie shared. "Just finding it really hard, saying things like 'even food tech there's loads of writing and science and stuff' and it just really breaks my heart. I find it really difficult to keep sending him in every day." She confessed that Carter had repeatedly asked to be home-schooled, but she felt this was not a realistic solution for their family, emphasising the importance of socialisation.
Navigating the System for Support
Frankie, who also shares an 11-year-old son, Parker, with footballer husband Wayne Bridge, detailed the steps taken following Carter's official diagnosis at age eight. She revealed that at his previous school, getting support was a complete battle. However, after a recent meeting with his current school, she was relieved to find the staff "couldn't have been nicer" and were swiftly implementing new measures.
These supports include an upcoming educational psychology assessment and the provision of assistive equipment like a computer and a reading pen to aid him during lessons. "They're like 'right let's do this'," Frankie said, expressing her gratitude for the proactive approach.
A Mother's Advocacy and Broader Awareness
Frankie admitted she had been unaware of the extent of the challenges dyslexia can present. "I think people downplay dyslexia and obviously people have different levels of it but I just never realised how hard it could be," she told her followers. She has since begun researching courses for parents of children with dyslexia to better support her son.
The star, who has previously spoken about her own mental health struggles, also shared her fears during difficult periods, worrying her family "would be better off with someone else." This latest chapter has highlighted the ongoing need for awareness and tailored support for children with learning difficulties like dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that primarily affects skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. It can affect people of all intellectual abilities and may also impact organisational skills. The NHS notes that individuals with dyslexia often have strengths in areas like creative thinking and problem-solving.
