Whew, I feel like I am running out of time to teach my son all the things that I dreamed of teaching him. You'd think that 18 years worth of interaction would be sufficient, but somehow I feel like I've been on auto pilot since about 4th grade. I can barely remember the passage of all those school days. I must have been conscious, but it beats me what wisdom I have imparted to him. Have I taught him how to handle himself when he gets stopped by the police for speeding? How do I teach about how to handle a broken heart without allowing him to go out there and get it broken? How do I convince him that the heartbreak is worth it once he finds the love of his life? How do I teach him to be passionate about his beliefs but at the same time be able to keep the lid on his tone of voice when having a disagreement with someone? Basically, how do I teach him about real life without him having experienced much of it yet? How did I learn about it myself?
It's so hard to believe that my baby is going to be a senior in high school- an 18 year old man. It sort of reminds me of when I'm packing for a trip and I have a nagging feeling that I have forgotten something really important. Socks ( check) underwear (check) toothbrush (check)....
It's common among people, particularly the young, to confuse contemplation with true learning. The best you can do (& I have done) is to prepare them with a good foundation so that when they confront the situation that you told them about & they felt that they thereby understand, they will say to themselves (after the shock of the actual experience), "Oh . . . *that* was what Dad/Mom was talking about." You can only hope that they pick up the beat only a few measures into the tune.
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