Ok, so today is the first of our Freaky Friday posts.....
#673 Being a mom means talking about college even though your daughter wants to talk about what movie stars are wearing. Taken from 1001 Things It Means to be a Mom by Harry H Harrison Jr
This is ringing true in my life right now....you see my daughter is brilliant and could go to any college she chooses, probably on a full ride scholarship. HOWEVER she has in her mind an area of the country that has nothing to do with academics and everything with what she thinks she will find there.
My struggle is in several areas...
1.The first one being that what she believes she will find there could not be farther from the truth...and no matter what I tell her, she will not believe me. I no she is headed for a major disappointment if she goes through with this choice. My gut tells me that I need to limit her to two colleges that my husband and I feel are suitable for her. At least we will still be giving her the chance to spread her wings and experience freedom from mom and dad, and we will be giving her a choice...one or the other. All while keeping her safe and in an environment where she can grow and learn.
2. We are not the Rockefeller's...so I keep telling her she needs to be applying for as many scholarships as she can so that the cost will not be overwhelming to our family. She is content to cruise along on bare minimum applications....assuming that when the time comes the scholarship fairies will come and give her all the money she needs to go away from home and the awful life her parents offer her, so she can spread her wings and do what she wants all because she has reached the magical age of 18.
I refuse to do the applications and beg her to do what is right. If she cannot be bothered to fill out the scholarship applications and she does not get the funding she needs to spread her wings and move on to the mainland I will be the mean mom that will tell her that her only choices will be the University of Hawaii,Chaminade University, or Hawaii Pacific University. I made my choices and did not finish college after high school and I am just now as I type finishing my BS....she has to make her and she will have to live by them.....
1 comment:
Is it not the hardest thing to let our babies start making decisions? My similiar case:
The oldest has had some boy issues the past couple of weeks. She comes to me to talk and I listen and am properly sympathetic. She asks me what she should do. I had to look at her and say this was part of growing up and she had to make the decision as to what she should do. OH, how hard that was!!
I am a year or two behind you with raising a teen, but to know I had to start doing that instead of slaying her dragons? Shook my mother's soul.
I think you're doing the right thing in helping her learn responsibility. Keep up the good work!
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