Catch a Falling Star I have a perfect son.
Okay, almost perfect.
Teachers, other parents, friends...so many people have asked me what did I do to raise such a nice kid. He's a parent's dream.
He was just born that way.
You haven't heard much about him here
Because all of a sudden he's not doing anything.
And it hit me like a ton of bricks last night, while lying in bed.
I couldn't sleep just thinking about it.
I always knew that no matter what a great kid he has always been, to BRACE MYSELF for the teen years, because BOY DO I HAVE IT COMING. I am owed years of grief for the grief I caused.
But I didn't think it would come for a couple of more years.
Hubby brought up the fact that he can't believe our boy will be FOURTEEN THIS YEAR.
Fourteen? Our BABY?? How did that happen so fast??
At fourteen, I was already drinking and smoking.
(Sorry if that is a revelation to you mom and dad, don't spank me now!)
No, I thought, he's a good kid, got a good head on his shoulders.
But then I thought, he's changing so fast.
He's ALWAYS been into at least one sport all the time. Sometimes three at a time, and he'd have practice or games every single day.
Then a few months ago he asked to take a break from everything.
Good for me, that meant I didn't have to drive him to practices/games, or provide snacks to the team on the most inconvenient days...
But what is he doing with all his free time?
He goes to the Skate Park almost every day.
Where the kids swear and dress in weird clothes.
is this a good thing?
And then yesterday, he told me he punched a kid at school because someone fell on him while they were playing tag and he blindly swung and hit the wrong kid.
WHAT??
For one thing, it was an accident, so what was with the punching? Now he has to go to the Principal's office today.
What is happening to my all star?
And he doesn't want to do things with me anymore, he wants to be with his friends.
(Oh, that kind of hurts but just reading it made me realize that's so normal.
I was going to say that he's been so self-centered, that when I ask him to come to the beach with me on Saturdays so I can paddle and he can help watch the babies, he tells me he already has plans with his friends, but that actually makes ME look self-centered, huh!)
Well, I guess he's just getting older
And I'm the one with growing pains.
But I'm still bracing myself, just in case.  ¶ 8:54 AM