Our school year ends in May and I’ve started encountering “You ready for high school” more and more lately.
I confidently say YES!
Over the past few years I’ve deliberately taken a hands-off approach to his schooling. He manages his own time with homework. He manages his own grades. And this year as his extra curricula activities have increased, I’ve had him start managing his own calendar.
It takes a village and sometimes part of that village is the kids themselves.
And you know what? He’s doing it. It hasn’t been perfect but there’s no better time to learn these skills than when the risks are low.
Academically he’s signed up for a pretty challenging course load for 9th grade. I think it’s going to catch him off guard a bit. He’s used to getting his work done in school and I don’t think that’s the way it works when there’s no study hall.
He’s also going to take Latin. His father and I met in Spanish class and were fluent at the time but hey, this is what you get when you raise kids to think for themselves.
He has grown (6’2” what?) and matured so much that sometimes I just can’t believe I get to parent him. We haven’t run into the “miserable emo teen” phase yet. But, man has his ability to lawyer represent himself in situations have nearly surpassed my ability to counter point him.
I still say I have the quickest wit in the house…..that’s mostly true but it’s getting close.
He has composed music for over a year and wrote me a piece for my birthday. It was titled “Oxbow Lake” and if you know what that is, makes it all the more special and profound. I play it often.
His father is what I call a “universal” in that nearly everyone who meets him, likes him. Our older son didn’t inherit that (younger one did). He got my somewhat socially awkward and yet strong confidence that confuses people so it’s a 50/50 when people walk away if they want to talk again or NEVER again. He’s also very much like me in that social status or popularity matters less than zero to him. He knows who he is and stays true. It’s been helpful in Jr. High and I think it will continue to work for him in high school……and life.
Watching him become more HIM has been a gift.
So, yeah, we’re ready.
Ugh I started tearing up. I love this post. He’s going to be awesome in high school. And tell him he’s tall enough now, jeez.
Wonderful, Jen, and beautifully expressed.
Your son sounds like such a great young man. Thank you for sharing about him…I have this fear of the teen years because so many families I’ve seen where the kids go haywire in high school and ruin their lives or just don’t do anything. Hearing there is hope for our future generation in other families is so encouraging for me! And I’m the type who encounters you and wants to talk about everything :)