Well, as with all kids, they are each there own individual, and so is true with my 4 kids. My oldest, my daughter, and my middle son are both a little bit broader heavier build then their two other brothers, my oldest and youngest boys who are both rails and eat like horses. Genetics can be a really odd thing sometimes. Anyway, my son who is a bit stockier and is 10 has just entered the 4th grade this year, and seems to be struggling a lot. By far probably my most intelligent child, he is also my most sensitive and for the past 2 years has been in a class with a lot of nice kids and the class stayed nearly the same for both years. Well, this year they scrambled the kids up and he is without any of his old “standby” group. I can tell that he really isn’t enjoying it very much so far, and actually he came home on the first day of school and said that he hated it. Day one, someone insulted the wrestling shirt that he wore to school, which for the record he picked out an loved, so now he won’t ever wear that shirt to school again or the other 2 with the tags on them in the drawer. Then it was he doesn’t want to pack lunch, he wants to buy like everyone else, but this child is the pickiest eater I have ever met, so I am not sure how he plans to do this without starving. I am trying to encourage him to do it though, because I figure the peer pressure might get him to try something new. Now the latest thing is that he wants to lose weight. I think it is absolutely wonderful for him to exercise and eat healthy, but I am a little bit concerned about this new obsession of his. I don’t want him to get an eating disorder or something. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t that I don’t think that he can stand to lose a few pounds, but he is playing soccer 4 days a week, and then he does other activities around here including playing soccer with his brothers and running on the treadmill. Well, I just worry if he wants to put too much pressure on weight loss and dieting. I think there is nothing wrong with exercise, good nutrition and getting healthy, but I just wish he would stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and just start focusing on what he wants. That is the most important thing of all.
Posted on Thursday, September 18, 2008 11:10 AM by Carol Ann
Well, I knew it was coming but this week I had to go to the college open house at the local high school and get hit right in the face with the reality of the whole thing. Now next month she will start taking an SAT prep course and will be taking her PSAT, before long it will be the SAT’s the college applications, scholarship applications and so forth. I really hope that she is at least able to get a partial scholarship for college because she is really a great student and I really dread taking out too many loans to put her through school. Don’t get me wrong, I will do whatever it takes, but still I know that college can be rather costly and with the way this child spends money, I assure you that the college that she decides she wants to go to will not be cheap. If anything, if there is a ranking of schools, just based on cost in the US she would definitely pick right off the top of the list. Now she originally was talking about going away to school, but somewhere in the same state, but lately now she is talking about just up and going to school in California and her answer to me is that she has always wanted to see it. I told her she should probably go and see the state first before she just decides to up and move there without so much as knowing anyone. She agreed, but I am not really sure what she will do. I am however pretty sure that once she hits college age she is out, that is just who she is and what she wants right now, and I am not really sure that I am ready to make the transition from parent looking over shoulder to parent of adult child, so I think I may have to do some real soul searching to make it through this one. I don’t think it matters too much what she decides to do, I am sure that whatever it is she will succeed. I secretly am hoping that she at least stays within a few hours so I can see her more often, but I wouldn’t dare discourage her from living her life, ultimately it is her life to live and her choices to make. I can just always be here for guidance and support, which is what a mom is for.
Posted on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 11:11 AM by Carol Ann