Senioritis doesn’t just impact students, but parents, too
By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times
My oldest child will be graduating from Unionville High School in a few months and I am not handling it very well. While I am excited for him to experience this next stage in life, I can’t help but selfishly wish that time would slow down a bit.
I was chatting with a friend at the Y this afternoon about how stressful the college application / acceptance process really is. We were not at all psychologically prepared. At least I wasn’t, and I am on the cusp of a graduate degree in psychology. You’d think I would have known better.
However, the decision regarding where our son will spend the next four years (and no more!) is a question keeping everyone awake at our house. Because it’s our first time through this, the level of attention to detail is excruciating.
My husband has multiple, financial spreadsheets mapped out on his computer, while I am much more concerned with the physical distance from each potential university to our doorstep. I could sob at the drop of a hat thinking that this time next year I am going to go weeks without seeing my child. Months, even. I have not been separated from this boy for longer than a few days in 19 years (adding in for the 9 months of pregnancy).
My friends who have kids in college tell me that I will survive. The first few weeks are the hardest and after that, life settles into a new rhythm. It’s funny to think that I had three years with my oldest before his little brother came along, and now I’ll have three years alone with my youngest.
It does give me peace that my husband and I chose to move into the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. From Unionville Elementary, to Patton Middle School, to Unionville High School, our kids have blossomed socially, athletically, and academically. We could not be happier with our decision. That being said, I suppose that I have talked myself down off the ledge for the time being. My kid IS prepared to take the next step. Me? I’ll get there eventually…
Do you have any advice? Share in the comment section below!
Happy Weekend
Thanks for the advice, TE!
I appreciate the words of wisdom.
Kelly
The hardest part is right now……….thinking about it. Planning for it. Anticipating what it will be like.
It will be great. They mature very quickly. They’re nice to you. They text you 5 times a day. You’ll talk to him more when he’s gone than you are right now. And you’ll have his full attention. He’ll listen to you better. It’s as if hes finally realized you might actually know more about things than he does. He’ll express shock over this revelation. You’ll want to roll your eyes, but you’re so grateful, you just go with it. Mine is a 9 to 12 hour drive away so no bus train or car is going to get me there to throw a net under him when he gets lost. Probably a good thing. They gotta grow up. And they gotta do it themselves. And no better time than right now.
It’s not horrible. It’s different but great. For everyone. Especially your 9th grader. I’m living the life right now you will be living next year. Don’t sweat it, enjoy the present moment and look forward to the future. It will be awesome.