Each of us are perpetual students in one way or another. Each day brings opportunity, new lessons, old lessons, new topics, old topics, and life experience. What kind of student are you?
Way back in my high school years, the student body sorted itself into groups.
Teachers however, sorted us into different categories. Good students, average students, A students, bad students.
I couldn’t wait to graduate high school. I wasn’t one of the popular kids, yet everyone knew me. Well, to be fair, there was only 120 in my graduating class so it wasn’t that difficult. Anyway . . . I was a good student. No, really I was. I didn’t fare as well in college. I came to the crossroads of having to decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life. . . and well. . . you already know how that turned out.
Life is the best teacher there is. No one can ever take an education from you. Having that little piece of paper and the college transcript to back it up is invaluable. But learning doesn’t stop in the classroom.
We learn about the person we are dating. We learn what the boss expects of us. We learn which restaurants to avoid. We learn which stores have better prices and better quality than the others. We learn to care for our children. A note on this later. Each day we learn lessons both good and bad. The past few days I learned that I can manage to cook meals, do my regular housekeeping (minimal) and not vomit while having a migraine. That is an improvement. I learned how to block calls on my phone, something I had left to the hubs to do. I learned that you can make a spy device with a burner phone. I also learned something about parenting an adult child.
First, let me start with this disclaimer. When they send new mothers home from the hospital with a newborn infant in their arms or carrier, they don’t send an owner’s manual. There were mothers a lot younger than me in there with newborn babies smaller than mine. I was instantly overwhelmed. We sometimes joke that the first-born is the trial and error guinea pig and we figure out a few things that work with subsequent children. The fact is, it’s true. Your mother is there to help you ideally in this new endeavor, but it’s a steep learning curve.
I think my first mistake was naming my child a name that meant Princess. OY! We’ve had other names over the course of her life that were more fitting but her birth certificate declares her Princess, and thus she acts with the entitlement that comes with the name.
Drama Princess is having to learn that adulthood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A sharp lesson in how to treat other family members was served up last night. Don’t get me wrong here, please. I love my kids with my whole heart. The idea is to raise your kids to become responsible adults not irresponsible overgrown kids in adult bodies. Adulting is hard. Responsible adulting is even more difficult. Parenting is the hardest job I’ve ever had. I thought things were rough when they were teens. Nope, doesn’t even compare to young adulthood while they are still living at home.
Seeing the results when the light dawns, the lessons are learned, and you know they get it – priceless.
Well done grasshopper number one, well done.
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