Kid 1 turns 18 today.
He made it.
Note that I didn’t make any comments about being “off the hook” for child support payments – that ended about 6 months ago, since I built up a balance with the court. Besides, just because he’s 18 doesn’t mean that I won’t financially assist Kid 1 anymore.
I don’t think that 18 is the personal milestone for young people that it used to be. It’s not like was in my parents’ day where one could buy alcohol at 18. For that matter, it’s not like it was even in my day where one could legally buy tobacco at 18. I guess now, all that people get out of turning 18 is the right to vote. That, and as a guy, he has to register for selective service. Of course, Kid 1’s birthday serves a a precursor of sort to his high school graduation, which is a little more than 2 months away.
Approaching this milestone has me, of course, a little bit reflective. This is, by no means the end of me being a parent. If anything, the whole Rob-Kid 1 dynamic will be entering a new phase. Besides, I’m still having my experiences with Kid 2.
I find myself thinking a bit about X1, and how she’ll be going through the “empty nester” experience. Since she had them around most of the time, she will probably have a greater adjustment with him going away to school. while kid won, leaving for college won’t be as emotional for me, I would gladly treat a tooth for the last 13 years with him living with me full-time.
All in all, I think I’ve done very well with allowing my relationship with kid one to naturally evolve overtime. What I meant to say is that a child whose 10 years old needs different things from their parents than a child who is, let’s say, 17. Maybe it’s because I taught middle school in high school and I’ve been around students that age for a longer period of time. Maybe it’s just because every time I saw a kid one, he was a little bit older, a little bit more mature, and I just ruled with the proverbial punches.
But I am very excited about him going to college this fall. Whether he goes to school in North Carolina, Missouri, Michigan or decides to stay in South Carolina. Several years ago, I said that I think the greatest time of a young person’s life is when they go to college. There is no other time in a person’s life when they have both so much freedom and so he responsibilities. I’ve explained this to Kid 1 before, and I think he understands.
I still remember going in an impromptu Tour of Greenville’s Flour Field. Kid 1 was just a baby then. He could literally fit on my forearm. in fact, I may have a photo somewhere of him doing that that day. They really do grow up SO fast!
But he’s not going off to college quite yet. We still have a little bit of time for that…
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The article “He’s 18!” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.
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