Parenting Teenagers: Will Wonders Never Cease

Yesterday was the first day of school for my 17 year old. He asked for a ride his first day because he didn't want to be hot and sweaty after the grueling 10 minute walk to school. I was not impresses. Than he played the responsibility card. The other reasons he wanted to arrive early was he wanted to talk with the bus driver about catching the bus in the morning. He also wanted to stop by student services to find out how to get his off campus pass. Theses are things he could have easily taken care of over the summer break but he wasn’t demanding I take care of them for him so I was impressed.

Okay I’ll drive but I was not about to be caught in first day traffic. It is the type of traffic (I speak from experience) that turns a 4 minute round trip into a nerve racking, jaw tightening 30 minute trek through anxious freshman parents and semi newly licensed juniors all fighting for the few parking spaces not assign to the privileged seniors and well deserved by the faculty. I proposed a leave time a good 45 minutes before school started. He agreed. No surprise, at that point he would have agreed to just about anything to get a ride.

The surprised came in the morning. And a delightful one it was! He was up dressed, feed and ready to go. He informed me in addition to getting his summer AP work finished, he had completed the extra assignments. He stayed up to 3 am to do them. One of those parenting conundrums: Do you praise the effort or point out he had all summer to do the extra work with out sacrificing his sleep? (I did both.)

It was the first day of school and I doubt (Oh I of little faith) the whole year will go as well as today. But it was the perfect first day of school!

Comments

[Faith]

I sure hope my oldest daughter (now a 10th grader) will be off to a good start. For her the battle is getting up at 5:45 to make the 6:40 bus. I don't drive her to school as I have to get myself ready for my part time teaching job and be here for my 4th grader daughter! Our first day is next Thursday.

I love the haiku by the way and your blog..found it through Rocks in my dryer.

[A.]

Well, this post takes me back a few years! Our older son at 17 was such a contrast in behaviours, and has turned out a joy. The bus for school was a constant knife edge. People used to queue to watch him arriving at the last possible minute. I'm certain there were bets placed on the outcome. Rest assured, yours will be wonderful.

[Chris]

My 11+ years old son is still annoyingly slacking in his studies... :-( Waiting for the day he outgrows that..