Letting them be Pizza

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Pizza 
       I spoke to my sister yesterday while she was in the midst of costume shopping with her five year old. He wanted to be a slice of pizza for Halloween. She thought it was a dumb costume. 

     "Should I just give in and let him be the slice of Pizza?", she asked. "Of course you should", I answered. It seemed like a no-brainer to someone with 10 more years of mom-experience more than she.   "He should be able to express himself however he wants", I smugly added.

      Remember that I have two teenaged sons. We are pretty much past the days of me telling them what to do. There are certainly family rules but I am mile away from telling them what I think that they should dress up as for trick-or-treating. Like really far. 

      I'm in the middle of high school parenting and all  that this brings. They pick their wardrobes, hairstyles, friends and activities without any input from me. 

     I figured that where to go to college was going to be a joint decision but I think that I am wrong. The college fair was coming to my son's school this week. Before we went, I highlighted the schools on the list that I thought he should visit at the fair. He made his own list. I think that there was one school that we both had on our lists. 

       Obviously I'm older and wiser. I know more about college than he does. I'm the one who will be paying. I will be the one wiping away the tears or holding this biggest party once those rejection or acceptance letters start appearing during his senior year. However, I have to let him be the pizza.

     Other than nagging and coaxing about what he has to do this year to get ready to send out applications next fall , the work is really up to him. He has to study for his classes, study for the SAT, fill out the applications, write the essays, etc. He has to try to figure out where he can get in and make a plan about the next few years of his life. He is the type of kid who will be happy wherever he lands. Where you go to college is not an irreversible decision but a pretty big one, especially in the life of a teenager.

  Letting them be pizza is easier said then done. Will someone pass the parmesan cheese?

7 comments:

angryparsnip said...

Such a great post today.
Let him be a pizza, what can it hurt ?
Best advice I ever received from another Mum was pick your battles. I think pizza is a non battle.

I remember the applications... three children. But I have to tell you, one son decided to go to junior college instead of university. The X was furious spitting nails but it worked out. Later son applied to schools he wanted to go to switched several times ended up going to Cambridge, and finished up his degree in Japan. Where he lives now is a university professor and also runs the school abroad program.
You just never know.

cheers, parsnip

Susie said...

Japolina, Getting ready for college is way harder than being pizza. :):) I would love to see the costume. I can remember just trying to point my daughters in the right direction. But the choice was theirs. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

Cheryl said...

Better yet... let him eat pizza while wearing the pizza costume and be a "zombie/cannibal pizza slice lol Yes, yes... yes... I always run wild with ideas *wink*

B @ The Sequin Notebook said...

Aww, I actually think the pizza costume will be really cute too! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm SO glad you set me straight. He had a great time! He is still telling me I need to be the banana next year ( i tried the banana on,but didn't buy it)
xo jo

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

Oh, yes, if only the teenage years were as easy as letting them make decisions like picking a costume! I'm enjoying your blog! Glad you stopped by mine, so that I discovered yours! (Going to click "follow" right now!)

stevenjared0853 said...

Yeah that’s like a good idea my friend. Seven years ago I also got married at Lincoln park wedding venues but my wedding dress is of no use now. So donating it to my daughter’s school for school play would be a great idea. Thanks for this idea!!

 
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