It's just a stage...

For those of you who are parents you'll be familiar with the idea that kids go through stages.  You know it could be the peeing in pants after you thought toilet training was done, or it could be a stage where vegetables of any sort are deemed disgusting.

Parenting sometimes seems like I'm just going through one stage after another.

Just when I have figured out how to handle one stage, the kid has moved on to some other stage for which I have not yet developed an appropriate response.

It can be quite maddening actually.

I feel sorry for my oldest child.  He is the first to go through everything and because he's the first it means it's the first time I have to go through it with him.

Good thing I have three children.  I should be an expert by the third!

My oldest is in grade 12 which seems like it's a big year because he has to make decisions about post secondary education.  I've been hounding him about how important it is to study to get those grades as high as possible and hounding him about whether he is familiar with application procedures etc etc.

I don't know how interested he is in those things.  I think he's just excited about the possibility of moving out of the house and living on his own.

What? You can't even pick up the candy wrappers you've left on the table and you think you can live out on your own?

My first born still seems like a baby to me! How does time move so fast? 

He's already visited Ryerson University downtown which is his first choice and this weekend we are heading to Kitchener to visit Conestoga College. 

Good thing I've got my stamping hobby to distract me from all the parenting anxieties. 

I'm sure if I didn't have this business/hobby, I would be driving my son even more mad! 

When next fall comes I'm sure I"ll be crying buckets of tears when he actually does move out.  Any experienced parents are welcome to give me words of advice and wisdom! 

Thanks for dropping in today and have a great weekend!