I am sad about my son graduating : (

[poohandwendy]

My son wrestles his natural weight thank God ! so not much cutting for him

I didnt mind the weigh ins at all my son drove himself but I always showed up with the breakfast stuff anyway . I MISS IT I TELL YA I MISS IT !

I am a little worried about my son being the small fish in the big pond now . He was the Captain of the team and was the big fish I just dont knwo how this will work out for him . He wont be in charge of anything . He takes his leadership very serious . We need to start a Mom with college kids that are away support thred : )

Aw, I can tell how close you are to him. That is so wonderful. Trust me, he will be fine. His going to 'small fish' will definitely be an adjustment, but think of how positive that will be for him. The challenges, the things he will learn from the others...it will humble him and make him a more well-rounded competitor and young man.

We had a thread last fall for the exact same thing, it really was helpful talking to other parents in the same boat.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

So your son is a mountaineer! Congrats! Buy him some warm clothes and boots for all those snowy days. Make sure to eat at the Dan'l Boone Inn. They have an incredible buffet.

Lori

 

[Sherri]

My son Graduates on Sunday . He seems fine with it of course : )

I will miss him when he goes accross the country to NC for school .. ( WHY GOD WHY?)
He will be at ASU to wrestle for them , Texas is not known for wrestling and of course that is what sport my son is going to do in college.
Why couldnt he wrestle in a state close to home you ask . Why because he is trying to outrun his mommy of course LOL

Anyway anyone else sad ? I am really kinda getting scared at how much I cry at the drop of a hat about it . It is a long way between Dallas and Boone : (

God bless them for fighting for him with the other schools but why couldnt they be closer to home .

I feel for you. I can only imagine how hard it has to be. I am doing all that I can to hold on to the time I have with my soon to be 8th and 9th grader. The time goes to quickly. Good luck and I know I will be feeling just like you when the end of senior year rolls around.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

AWWWW....{{{HUGS}}} to you. Mom, you did something right when you gave your son the wings to fly.
Congratulations!!!!

 

[ADisneygirl]

I feel for you. I was exactly where you are emotionally 4 years ago when my oldest daughter left for college. It is a sad yet joyous occasion. Sad that one type of relationship is ending but a new one is beginning. Think of all you've accomplished with your child. Think how far they've come with your guidance and love, and how far they have yet to go. They still need you. They still love you. You've done a wonderful job raising a productive, kind, positive member of society. Pat yourself on the back and allow yourself to cry. It does hurt to see them go. It does hurt that they are no longer little and needing us that way. But don't kid yourself --- you are still needed and valued, and now that my daughter is starting out in the world after college, I see that I am still important, appreciated and loved. You will be too.

Now, when my youngest son goes off to college, I may not recover!

 

[luvflorida]

Anyway anyone else sad ? I am really kinda getting scared at how much I cry at the drop of a hat about it .

I know what you mean. Our youngest has two more years of high school and I can cry just thinking about her going off to college. She will be our third child to graduate HS and go on to college, but somehow I don't remember it being this tough with the other two. I really think it's hardest letting go of the last child.

Daughter brought her yearbook home yesterday and wanted to sit down and look through it with me. I couldn't get through the pages of baby pictures of the Seniors without the tears starting. Some of the messages that parents had written by the pictures were so touching and sentimental. If other kids' pictures cause me to cry, I can't imagine when I have to choose one of my daughter for the yearbook.

I have the following saying taped to my computer monitor to remind me that life involves moving forward: ALL THE ART OF LIVING
LIES IN A FINE MINGLING
OF LETTING GO AND HOLDING ON.

 

[DVCLiz]

There was a great story in Newsweek last week about this very issue. It gave examples of "helicopter parents", so called because they "hover" over their college age children. Some parents called professors on behalf of their students, some complained about roommates, some edited papers students had emailed them, etc. etc. etc. I've already told DD she's going to have to place some limits on the cell phone, because it's just too tempting to give them a buzz all the time. I don't think it's a good idea to call too often - it's a time to get away from home and parents.

I know it's going to be really hard to have them gone!!

 

[Mad4Mickey]

Thank you all for the support !

Just found out today that my son was chosen for National Duel Team he will wear the ol Texas flag singlet ! The Coach at App . said he didnt have to report for School till after Nationals were over .
National Duels are the 1st week of July and then he is off to a team camp for 1 week and then back home for 2 weeks . He also qualified for Nationals on a indvidual level so we will be in Fargo for the last week of July .

I know it is sad but I will take what little time I can get with him in the same state I am : )

 

[froglady]

I feel for you. I was exactly where you are emotionally 4 years ago when my oldest daughter left for college. It is a sad yet joyous occasion. Sad that one type of relationship is ending but a new one is beginning. Think of all you've accomplished with your child. Think how far they've come with your guidance and love, and how far they have yet to go. They still need you. They still love you. You've done a wonderful job raising a productive, kind, positive member of society. Pat yourself on the back and allow yourself to cry. It does hurt to see them go. It does hurt that they are no longer little and needing us that way. But don't kid yourself --- you are still needed and valued, and now that my daughter is starting out in the world after college, I see that I am still important, appreciated and loved. You will be too.

Now, when my youngest son goes off to college, I may not recover!

We must be twins.

DD graduated from college last week, is still on campus (she's house sitting for a prof) but will be starting her career in DC the beginning of July. So I won't see her again until I bring her things up for her first apartment, and then maybe at Christmas...as long as I pay the fare.

But I knew from the start that she was never going to be a homebody; she started going away for weeks at a time at age 10, and has never looked back. DS is my homebody, and will probably not go more than 500 miles away from home...he hates cold weather!

 

[ADisneygirl]

We must be twins.

DD graduated from college last week, is still on campus (she's house sitting for a prof) but will be starting her career in DC the beginning of July. So I won't see her again until I bring her things up for her first apartment, and then maybe at Christmas...as long as I pay the fare.

But I knew from the start that she was never going to be a homebody; she started going away for weeks at a time at age 10, and has never looked back. DS is my homebody, and will probably not go more than 500 miles away from home...he hates cold weather!

That is something! We are twins! My DD was never a homebody either, but my son is. She couldn't wait to live in the dorms, and while she missed us, she reveled in being on her own. She did better at it than I did. Now as far as my son goes, I don't think he'll venture as far away. He never talks about it as she did at the same age. (he just turned 16) Time will tell though! I predict him going to USF in Tampa, about a 45 minute drive or so away.

 

[winniedapooh]

mad4mickey...my son graduates next year and I am already feeling it!

 

[TimeforMe]

What I would like to know is how do you get used to not knowing what they're doing all the time? I don't mean every minute of the day, but just knowing who they're with, where they're going etc.?

OMG, Jill, that is exactly what I am dreading as well. I think the days will be OK (cause I'll be working ) but dinnertime and afterwards (especially bedtime) is going to be very, very difficult for me. I can't imagine going to sleep every night without her in the next room or waking up and she's not there. Of course, I know it'll be good for both of us, but man....it's going to be hard.
to all of us who have kids graduating this year. At least we have the whole summer.

 

[Snowysmom]

Congrats to your son for all his accomplishments. It is a hard adjustment when the kids go off to college. You learn to keep in touch by IMing, e-mailing, and the occassional cell phone call. As far as not knowing what they are doing, you just trust that what you taught them stays with them and they make the right decisions. My older DS will be a college senior next year and that makes me sad and happy. Happy that he has accomplished so much and sad that yet another chapter of our lives together is over. But the new one may be better! He is applying to medical schools in the northeast and I hope he gets into one in Massachusetts! Younger DS will be a high school senior next year so we are looking at colleges for him. I am finding this to be harder because no more kids at home once he goes to college. DH feels even worse. We love the visits home, we seem to get along pretty well, and now that older DS is home for the summer, I love having a full house again. I take my pleasures where I can. Good luck and I hope his college career and wrestling go well for him.

 

[Val]

My middle DD graduated from the 8th grade last Tuesday, and my oldest DD graduated from HS last night.....fell apart when the 8th grader quartet sang the theme song from "Land before time"....that was all four of their fav song when they were little (by the way, it is hard to play the flute when crying- I play for the choir and had to play the entrance song after they sang!)......was doing OK at HS graduation last night, until the 4 valedictorians gave their speech- they read Dr. Seuss's "The Places you will go"......I remember reading all four of those kids stories when they were little and hanging out at our house- and when they decided to "paint" the walls in the basement during the 5th grade sleepover, etc. It killed me to see them so grown up and successful- it seems like yesterday they were running through the sprinkler in my yard. They are all so grown up and mature and going to such wonderful colleges!!

Tomorrow is a huge double graduation party- we are expecting about 75 teens at our house (we live at the end of a cul de sac on an acre- largest yard). Wish me luck surviving the wild teens.

When they told me when my oldest DD was born that I should hang on and enjoy each stage- that it would go SO quickly, I laughed and laughed through my exhaustion. Listen up moms of little ones- it really does go in the blink of an eye (and what am I STILL doing with an 8 and 10 year old? Guess I have a few more years before that empty nest!)

 

[mamajoan]

Thank you all for the support !

Just found out today that my son was chosen for National Duel Team he will wear the ol Texas flag singlet ! The Coach at App . said he didnt have to report for School till after Nationals were over .
National Duels are the 1st week of July and then he is off to a team camp for 1 week and then back home for 2 weeks . He also qualified for Nationals on a indvidual level so we will be in Fargo for the last week of July .

I know it is sad but I will take what little time I can get with him in the same state I am : )

WAY COOL!!! CONGRATULATIONS!! PINS for HIM ALL THE WAY!!!

 

[Mary Anne]

My oldest graduates this week; Wednesday evening is the Graduation Mass (Catholic School) next sunday the official graduation ceremony. I'm just hoping I hold it together.

I have to say the worst awaking I've gotten so far is the "Selective Service Registration" card in the mail for him. I grew up in the VietNam era and it was such a big thing for 18 year olds to register for the draft in those days. Even though there is no draft now, boys still have to register. That to me was beyond emotional.

 

[sharbear]

I have a DS graduating HS this year also. It's hard, i've been in denial all year but graduation still came. Darn! I thought that I was doing okay but last week I had a panic attack. It doesn't help that he picked a college 11 hours away. I think that will be the hardest. Even though he probably wouldn't come home much, it still would have been nice to think that he could if he wanted to. Oh well.

It will be hard to send this one to college. He's so easy to have around, so easy going and helpful. His younger sister on the other hand, I might be showing her the door! LOL!

 

[Kitty 34]

You'll cry and cry when he leaves and then you will be OK.

 

[froglady]

You'll cry and cry when he leaves and then you will be OK.

Yes. And each good-bye will get a little easier, and you'll stop wondering, "What is he/she doing now? Is he/she OK?" 20 times a day. Now I only worry about once a week.

 

[christineann]

Congratulations to your son - small world - my daughter graduated last week and will enroll at App also. We looked at many schools during her junior year, but App has always been her first choice. She turned down 2 basketball scholarships and a spot on the App team to go into their honors program. My son is about to graduate from App, so they won't be there together. He lives and breathes for the place. There is SO much to do, and I'm sure you've seen their beautiful campus. Their freshman orientation program was one of the reasons they were chosen a Time college of the year in 2003.

Michael wanted to go to App for their criminal justice major, the outdoor activities and also because he wanted to go to college where he would meet all new people (as does my daughter).

So, you can be very comfortable with your son at App. As a mom, I think the place is fantastic!