A bad reading Day :(

  Well, my youngest son, Evan, had a very bad morning.  I did too.  We were doing some reading, and he just wasn't getting it.  He couldn't seem to remember any letter sounds, or blend sounds or anything.  It was almost like starting over from the beginning again.  Needless to say, he got very upset.  I am sad to report that I also got upset.  By the time we were finished, we were both crying.  Not good at all.
  Since we started home school, I have been reluctant to push too hard with reading.  I have read everything I could on it and talked to many people.  They all say to just give it time, and he will ready when he is ready.  I was fine with that for a long time.  But this past year I have started to feel the pressure.  From family members, friends, and even from other kids he plays with. 
  " You can't read yet?  Wow, you must be stupid."  That is what another child said to him.
  We also get questions like,
  "How's your reading coming?  Want to read me a story?  Why don't you work harder on it?"  These only cause more frustration on both our parts. 
  I know this my fault, since I reached out to people to get some advice on what to do to help him learn.  But looking back now, that was a mistake.  For those people only have experience with the traditional school system.  All the books and advice that tell me the opposite seem very far away when one of your friends or family members is forming a judgement in their mind right in front of you.  The sad thing is that it is not only a judgement about me, but about him and all homeschooling.  I feel like I am letting down a lot of people. 
  So the question now is, do we keep struggling along?  Slowly and painfully?  Do we just leave it completely for a while, or just do a little bit?  Sigh.  There is a home school convention coming up here in Alberta this weekend, April 15 &16th, and I am going to be talking to a lot a people to find out how they have come through this struggle.  I know in the back of my mind I should just leave it, and it will come, but the rest of my mind won't seem to let me.  The struggle continues...