Senior Year is a time for fun and an opportunity to enjoy yourself and be a “child” for just a little while longer. Enjoy the dances, enjoy cheering for your home team, enjoy your friends that have been with you all through your school years. These moments you can’t replace.
Then why is it that you, my child, are striving to do everything when it isn’t time for you yet! Why are you taking multiple AP classes, stiving to prepare for college? Why are you stressing over that unattainable highest score GPA? Why are you striving to cram one more extra curricular activity or club under your belt for that college application?
Have I encouraged you or led you to believe that you need to do this to earn my love or respect?
Do you feel the need to do this to be good enough?
Why are you rushing ahead into things that you don’t need to do yet?
Here are a couple of areas that I have noticed us going astray.
Let’s Save College For College
Don’t try and do everything all at once. Dual Enrollment and numerous AP classes, just so you can get ahead. While I love your drive for success, I don’t want you to miss out on the here and now.
We are beginning to notice that many kids are taking so many college credits that they are entering colleges not as freshmen, but as Sophomores or higher.
Maybe as a future parent, you are wondering what is wrong with that? That means less college expenses right? Well yes, but now we have limited our kids’ time to mature and develop during these college years. Most kids aren’t ready to enter college at a Sophomore or higher level and the responsibility that involves.
Let’s give our kids time to grow and mature in the space that was created for that. College will be there and I want you to be able to live it to the fullest, but for now my sweet child, enjoy high school!
Let’s Not Work Too Much
While we are not independently wealthy and have always wanted you to understand the value of money, without having everything handed to you. As a result, you have built a strong work ethic by finding your own job, training and working hard each week. However, please sweet child of mine…DON”T let it become your whole focus!
Money unlocks many doors as you enter into this next chapter of your life but don’t let it steal your present. As you scurry home from school to quickly change into your work uniform, drag yourself off to work, work that 6 hour shift, then drag yourself home to work on your homework, hopefully crash in bed for a few hours of shut eye, only to get up and do it all over again tomorrow.
If you are working and always focusing on the future, you might miss the here and now. There is more to life than just school and work!
Let’s Not Rush It
Time goes so fast my sweet child! I don’t want you to miss it!
You are only this age once! Enjoy each and every activity and moment as you enjoy your high school years. Each experience is created just for you. Don’t wish or rush to future events and miss out on all that you can experience each and every day. There are so many times that we wish and dream of the future. I wish it was football season. I wish it was Christmas Break. I wish it was Spring Break. I wish. I wish. I wish. Don’t think about what is to come or the next best thing. Sweet Child of Mine, ENJOY EACH MOMENT!
So today, I will be the Mom that keeps your feet planted on the ground.
I will continue to remind you to enjoy what the day brings.
I will remind you not to worry about tomorrow!
I will remind you to not work too much!
I will remind you not to rush growing up!
I will remind you that you are still a child of mine for just a little while longer!
