<p>Thanks to those who have offered many doses of reality about boarding school parenting on this site. And now, for those parents just entering the world of cyber-parenting, I thought Id share a dose of levity (my demented version) about being a boarding school parent. Aside from the obvious satisfaction gained from this experience (watching their writing improve, seeing them make new friends, the joy of a coveted college acceptance
) there are some personal pleasures in all this (once I recovered from the first few weeks of crying every time I walked past an empty bedroom).
1) I love to plan. No seriously, I LOVE to plan. Bicoastal parenting on a shoestring is a planners dream!! How to get kids and luggage back and forth, coordinate college visits for kid1, and now, navigate graduation with strategic college visits for kid2
Its all just too much fun for my OCD inner child.<br>
2) As a frustrated writer, the wonderful new CC cyber-friendships Ive made surpass the honesty of any relationships I couldve struck up on the sidelines at local sporting events. Really, this has been a huge and lovely surprise: sharing parenting experiences and hardships on-line in the semi-privacy of my many tech devices. You know who you are, dear ones ;) I cant imagine this will happen with kid1s college cohort. There is something about parenting boarding school teens
3) Time zone advantages (for the west to east bicoastal set): teens go to bed late. Old people (us) go to bed early. Having kids a couple to three hours ahead really works for end-of-day conversations
Any others??</p>
<p>Being single, I love being able to eat when and what I feel like, and also not having to stock the pantry to overflowing for a teenager’s appetite.</p>
<p>How about nine months of never hearing a sentence that begins with, “Mom! Where’s my…?”</p>
<p>My turn! </p>
<p>1) Fewer discussions about the subtle differences in her hair from one day to the next.
2) Cleaner house - until the tornado sweeps through on vacations.
3) I second alooknac about the food. I love that my DD has a healthy and varied diet, but it’s much easier to shop when she’s not home.</p>
<p>The short order cook is semi retired for most of the year. I only work summers now.
Same for the laundry lady.</p>
<p>My favorite part of the year is Spring Break. My walls are vibrating right now- Music blasting:</p>
<p>Macklemore and Ryan Lewis- Thrift Shop (my personal favorite) - " I’m going to pop some tags only got twenty dollars in my pocket…" Yo! </p>
<p>Whatever happened to Pure Prairie League? " Amie…" Seriously, that’s BS music. Whatever happened to Dan Fogelberg? Okay. Never mind.</p>
<p>Christmas Break isn’t nearly as fun as this. During that break I’m always saying , " No really, you can take your tie off now…" I think with two months left they’re finally able to relax. It’s fun to see… like a preview for what summer will be like.</p>
<p>Don’t tell them, but when they go back, I buy some of their music on iTunes… I love the looks PhotographerDad gives me when I know the words. Pure horror.</p>
<p>“I’ll wear your granddads clothes…I look incredible…from that thrift shop down the road…” Yo! </p>
<p>O- M- G.</p>
<p>I can listen to the Bee Gees as long and as loud as I want. Tight white pants, chest hair, crazy cool medallions – what more can you ask for?</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I also get to set up my lingerie drying rack in her bedroom–very handy, and I can fold and sort laundry on her bed. And leave it there till I feel like putting it away. Maybe I’m becoming a teenager myself…</p>
<p>Thanks for all the chuckles everyone. I really miss her terribly but there is a lighter side.</p>
<p>We discovered that our relationships with our kids improved dramatically-- all teens need to separate and individuate–and that process can be difficult for both sides–frequently for boys it takes the form of “shutting down” whereas for girls it is in the form of more drama–these are stereotypes of course, but they hold true in most cases-- and the degree can vary.</p>
<p>However, as our kids had already created a separate identity merely because they “lived away from home” it made this step much more muted. Consequently we knew a great deal about all aspects of their lives–indeed much more than our neighbors whose kids attend the fine public high school in town. </p>
<p>Also the house is cleaner.</p>
<p>Lol, alooknac, I always thought u were a dad. Or maybe u are a dad, and I’m not being inclusive about men’s underwear preferences these days…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>LOVE it!! My classical-music loving GG has turned me onto Macklemore (a rapper with a conscience?) and a bit of K-pop! </p>
<p>And I’m with etondad. —it’s fabulous that GG has been able to get “out from under” our shadow/nagging/daily grind. We are closer in many ways, now that she has something of a private life away from home.</p>
<p>An odd downside? I keep having to hand-wash my favorite storage containers, because we don’t have enough dishes to run the dishwasher very often!</p>
<p>Oh, and I’m with wcmom— I love to plan. I already have the entire 2013-14 Emma calendar in my google calendar ;).</p>
<p>Do you guys know your kids are reading this? :p</p>
<p>@GMTplus7, I’m laughing too-I am indeed female, but big of you to allow for the opposite. Funny about gender on a forum. I have been surprised myself to find out a poster was the other gender from what I had imagined, based on what?? And I am a longtime committed egalitarian. Very interesting.</p>
<p>OMG - same here. My classical music loving D and I have been singing “Thrift Shop” all day while driving a Uhaul to pick up rehab supplies from Habitat. She pooh-poohed my thrifty ways until she found a $500 designer skirt NWT for $6.95. We snapped it up, thinking it wouldn’t last until the 25 cent discount day. Now it’s our anthem. Even my husband jokes about having $20 in his pocket (after tuition bills). Such a great video! (although I won’t look at Velcro sneaks the same way ever again).</p>
<p>Now if only I can figure out how to get college tuition at the thrift shop!</p>
<p>Okay, we’re not likely to meet socially, are we? So, what about the ultimate perk for the twosome left at home . . . self-banishment to DC’s bedroom when the snoring spouse erupts. Works for either party when sleeplessness is an issue! And is somehow even connecting all around.</p>
<p>p.s. I’m really just paying bills at this time of day.</p>
<p>It’s great not having to argue about curfews. Because EVERYBODY has the same curfew time, even if you are dating Taylor Swift
[Taylor</a> Swift and boyfriend Conor Kennedy: Is high school keeping them apart? - Cleveland Celebrity Headlines | Examiner.com](<a href=“http://www.examiner.com/article/taylor-swift-and-boyfriend-conor-kennedy-is-high-school-keeping-them-apart]Taylor”>http://www.examiner.com/article/taylor-swift-and-boyfriend-conor-kennedy-is-high-school-keeping-them-apart)</p>
<p>I agree with the poster who spoke of an improved relationship. WITHOUT QUESITON, my teen who is away now tells me more/shares more, asks for advice, etc. than when living at home.
In addition, time together tends to be FUN…we enjoy each other in a way we never did.</p>
<p>Also, I do enjoy putting together the occassional suprise carepackage and being the ‘fun’ mom when I do get to the school and can bring snacks for the whole sports team or dorm floor. </p>
<p>T</p>
<p>Yes it is kind of like going back to the days when your toddler came running to see you the minute you walked in the door, compared to the typical teenage who may or may not look up from their handheld device, neverrmind whether they’re in the same room or even home at all.</p>
<p>I’m speaking mostly metaphorically of course. But I have not seen D this consistently happy, eager and excited about school since the day she went bounding into kindergarten on her very first day of school 9 years ago. The joy that brings to my heart trumps the sorrow at not having her around.</p>