Saturday, August 25, 2012

Parenting a Fifteen Year Old...

T and I are...very alike.  Primarily, we are both very independent and very...anti-social.  Don't get me wrong.  Sure I can talk and I can mingle, but I prefer to stick with the known.  For work, I can easily spend hours engaging with new people, that is my job.  But, my personal life I am very different.  I am honest and loyal and struggle with trusting others.  I believe that T has all these same traits, and for that, I am sad. 

I wish that T was carefree.  I wish that he would meet and engage with others.  I don't know if it is a result of genetics or the back and forth homes of separated parents.  I tire trying to understand the why.  Maybe it is just kids these days.  They are tech savvy and communication with friends is through gaming or texting.  I didn't have those devices.  We met people and went out with friends.  We rode bikes and climbed trees.  We worked.

T and I have battled it out in our style, which is me with a semi-stern voice, about his lack of communication.  That I don't appreciate the one word responses that are oh so common with teens.  The vacation was good as the lack of computer and cell phone service for him, forced us to spend quality time together.  Of course the 40 plus hours in the car definitely added to that, although again T is like me.  If a passenger, he will sleep.

T completed his Freshman year with excellent grades.  He has decided to only play baseball, which I can admit I am disappointed for his sake.  Trust me I love not having to transport and observe!  His class schedule is incredibly hard, but being a teen, he waits until the last minute to complete his summer homework for his Advanced Placement class!  T took his AP test for college transfer credit last Spring and passed!  Of course we have no idea if it will actually count for anything if and when he goes to college.

T finally participated in Driver's Training. He has his Level I permit.  Driver's Education was a blast, not really.  But we survived the three week, four nights a week plus drive time and observation schedule.  We now are in the logging phase.  I don't have to insure him until he receives his actual driver's license, so I am beginning to think he will always have a permit!  Actually, State Farm has a program for youth under 25 that if  you complete a drivers log (20 drives in 60 days) you receive a discount.  They also have a discount for a student getting good grades!  Any savings will definitely help!

School baseball and community baseball wrapped up shortly after the 4th of July.  T was more than ready to be done - having felt that he had been practicing since Christmas!  I was glad for it to be done too! 

Earlier this week T started Phase II of his braces.  Twenty some odd months, with more than half of that time requiring intensive rubber band work.  I have to say, the pain has been more than miserable for him.  I only hope that the braces allow his back teeth to touch!

I am blessed to have a wonderful, healthy, happy, honest, humorous and smart young man (to name a few).  I am blessed each day.  As he inches closer to 16...I can only wait to see what the future holds for him.

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