Is It OK to Trust Your Gut When Deciding on Tutoring?
In March of 2024, I sent a big, enthusiastic "Happy Birthday!" text to a group of friends for one of our buddies, Chris, who was turning 50. In our group chat, it's a tradition—whenever someone has a birthday, we all chime in with funny pictures or GIFs to celebrate.
But there was one problem. I sent the message two days early.
For some reason, I had Chris’s birthday down as March 26th when it was actually the 28th. I felt pretty foolish and told myself, I need to fix my calendar so I don’t make this mistake again. But, as often happens in life, I got busy and never actually updated it.
Fast forward a year to March 2025. Chris’s birthday rolls around again, and I see the same date on my calendar. But something feels... off. I don’t consciously remember my mistake from the year before. I don’t recall that I had written it down wrong. I just have this gut feeling that something isn’t right.
So, instead of jumping into the group chat with another premature birthday message, I text Chris directly:
"Hey, today’s your birthday, right?"
He replies:
"Nope! It’s the 28th!"
And that’s when it all comes back to me—I had made this exact mistake last year. But this time, I caught it. Not because I remembered, but because my gut told me to pause and double-check.
I’m a firm believer in trusting your gut. Science may not have fully explained why humans have this instinct, but we all know that feeling—the little nudge that says something is off or, conversely, that something just feels right.
So, what does this have to do with tutoring?
Choosing whether or not to hire a tutor isn’t an easy decision. There are so many factors—your child’s personality, their school experience, their academic challenges, and your family's schedule. It’s a lot to process. But here’s the thing: parents who decide to get tutoring often just know it’s the right move.
If you’re feeling that nudge—that gut sense that your child needs extra support—trust it. And if you’re still unsure, the key is to hire a tutor who deeply understands learning differences. Even if your child doesn’t have a diagnosed learning challenge, every student learns differently. A great tutor isn’t just a subject expert—they’re someone who knows how to adapt, engage, and bring out the best in your child.
So, what does your gut tell you?