Parents of the HS Class of 2021 (Part 3)

We had a student lead prom last night. It was wonderful. Outside about 500 kids. A couple of hours before, the Governor got rid of most of our Covid protocols so masks were off for about 60% of the kids. I was at the dessert table and I am so glad I was vaccinated!!! Wore my mask, but had to get within a couple of inches so I could hear them. Hopefully, there will not be an outbreak :worried: D21 got to see so many she had not seen since she walked out of school in March 2020. It was a nice way to end high school.

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Same here. The washed clothes stay in the laundry basket and my son takes whatever he needs from there. Says its a waste of time to fold. :slight_smile: I have two very different kids!

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Argh. I thought my son was the only one with the disease of not folding his clothes. So instead of the lovely dresser being used, I finally gave up and looked away with him keeping his clothes in laundry baskets he puts on top of the dresser (in his closet).

Iā€™m not an experienced college parent, but we are flying across the country and Iā€™m not doing a fly in/out thing. We are setting aside a full day for getting things like a couple of plastic storage containers. And going to a Costco in the burbs in Boston. (Why does Rhode Island not have a Costco?!) I had my friend check and the Costco has Asian food that can be stored as back up. Also going there to get enough sundries and personal care stuff for the year. We will move in the second full day. I asked S21 to set aside half a day total to meet my friends who are nearby as they are his local contacts. We are staying a couple of days after move in because I just want to stuff myself with lobster rolls in the area. We gave him the option of meeting up with us for meals if he wants to but donā€™t expect him to if he has new friends. We just found out that my gf and her wife are splitting up (gf is transferring out of the country while this has happened) so I now have plans to go visit her wife and two boys. Thereā€™s Convocation and orientation that week after move in but we need to go home to our D24 (damn no virtual school during move in) and Iā€™m hoping S21 matches in on the side so the camera can catch him since the college streams the event.

I donā€™t imagine needing to help him move subsequent years, so this longer drop off is it. We have to come back for parent weekend in Oct.

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My sonā€™s prom is tonight :slight_smile: So excited they get to have this ritual! I am headed to pick up his dates flowers in a few.

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My S21 never seemed to take on the school stress. He was a B student in 9th grade but struggling and then diagnosed with ADHD. Great tutors helped inspire him to take school more seriously and he stepped it up as HS went on. Was also really clear on what kind of school he wanted and only applied to the few that fit that.

D23 has always been the more academic student and was straight-As through MS but really started struggling with the workload in 9th. She (unlike S) wanted to take all the hardest classes like her friends. DL really showed bad her attention and EF skills are and now sheā€™s been diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. She puts a lot of stress on herself. She wants to study ecology and do research, get a PhD, be a professor. And now agrees with me that she needs a small, supportive college with lots of faculty mentoring and opportunities for research. I think deciding that sheā€™s just opting out of the competition for UVA dialed down the pressure. Sheā€™ll be the only one in her group not taking APUSH next year but that will let her spend more time on IB Biology.

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Here, the senior class voted not to have a prom. There would have been a lot of restrictions and it would have been held in the school gym. Nobody was interested in that.

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With D19 and S19, we left the day after move-in. Weā€™ll do the same for D21. None of them wanted/want parents to stick around.

We arrive a day early to shop.

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@JESmom Our kids are sort of opposite then. My S is the straight A student wanting to take the hardest classes, though online learning hasnā€™t been great for him this year. He didnā€™t know what kind of school he wanted so he applied widely. He had some great options but I could not be happier that he chose VT. It is perfect for him. D decided on AP Lang next year and will stick with honors level classes for the rest. She wants (and will need) a smaller, supportive college as well. I guess I should dive into the parent thread for 2023 soon.

@MommaLue Youā€™d think theyā€™d have one in Rhode Island! My family that lives around Providence all shop at BJs and love it. Guessing thatā€™s why no local Costcos?

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My S21 takes all his folded clothes out of the laundry basket and piles them up on the floor!

I finally gave up nagging about the room since I donā€™t want to spend his last few months arguing.

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My kids put their clothes away, always have, but they donā€™t have dressers so maybe itā€™s easier for them. They have some stuff that is hung up but most goes in plastic tubs under their beds so they just toss it in. None of us are big on folding clothes tbh. They know how to do laundry and have no issue doing it when theyā€™re away from home, but at home I do it for everyone because the laundry room is a part of my bedroom area and I prefer not to have people in my space.

Today is Dā€™s 18th B-day! Family dinner tonight with her boyfriend. Everyone in the family and boyfriend are vaccinated.
Prom was last week, very low key, in the school cafeteria (Title 1 school). There was an after party that a friend of a friend was having. D and her boyfriend walked in, saw all the people they did not know, Grey Goose, Beer, White claw and no parents. They high tailed it out there. It was broke up by the police later when a parent called after picking up her intoxicated kid.
D and I have been having a lot of conversations about alcohol, drugs (edibles) and the such at college and how to stay safe. I donā€™t expect her to abstain from alcohol but be smart about it and safe.

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Happy Birthday to your D!

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Happy birthday to her!

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Yes a lot of conversations will be had this summer. As a former college party girl Iā€™m going to hope my big guy will help out intoxicated friends. As a lawyer Iā€™m hoping he will bring another person along to help. Maybe thatā€™s too paranoid idk.

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My daughter is so vehemently against underage drinking and drug use of all kinds that I actually just hope itā€™s not ostracizing. My older D was more laid back- starting out a hard no and eventually decided to try drinking a little at parties. She usually ended up only having one or two and taking care of her friends and making sure they got back to their dorms- sometimes a stranger or two too.

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Got a nice surprise a few days ago: GWU (S had committed to several weeks ago) offered him an invitation for their honors program. Better housing, advising, early registration, etc.

Was nice news to receive amidst the fun of AP and other exams this week.

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Congratulations for the good news!

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Not paranoid at all. Would want my S to have another friend with him (and preferably a female one) to help with an intoxicated female. Am a psychologist and have had many talks with both my boys about so many different situations and problem solving. They are pretty savy. But while part of that makes me breathe a little easier, Iā€™m also mindful, that all of our collective sons and daughters understandably need to be mindful of so many risks involved. My parents didnā€™t talk with me about anything. And I wish they had!

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I stopped by Bed, Bath and Beyond today (west coast) to see if I could get the scoop on the college program. Planning for 2 kids x 2 different college with both across the country just hit me !

According to the store manager, they will not set the store for college until July 1st - as they will first move through their summer theme - this is chain wide in their marketing materials. He said they are moving the college promotions later and later each year, as it has not impacted revenue. BUT - he did say it wouldnā€™t hurt to call or check starting in mid-June in case ā€œcorporateā€ has them move it up.

He recommended each student download the app and scan items at a physical store and it will tell them if it is available at their college store - save it for pick up and no charges until you pick up. He said Boston is the worst area - all stores for busy pick up and plan accordingly.

He also said the website is harder to navigate - both with too much choice and the frustration of many of the items not being available at the stores. All purchases qualify for 20% off when the student signs in to the program.

Canā€™t promise 100% accuracy - but he seemed very knowledgeable and had been through many college shopping seasons.

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Great news! My daughter chose GWU over several other good choices because she really liked the perks of the honors program. If you havenā€™t yet, watch some of the videos by the UHP through the application portal. Where are you from? Weā€™re in CA.

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