The Ship Has Sailed

Tonight was "Meet Your Teacher Night" for the start of school later this week.

We decided not to attend.

He's got the same locker with the same combination, alot of the same teachers, and the principal gives pretty much the same pep talk that they gave us every year of middle school. My son is nearly sixteen, for crying out loud. I think the "Meet Your Teacher" moments have sailed.

Does that make me a bad parent? Don't tell my mother and father.

My mother was a grade school teacher most of my growing-up years (until they bought the restaurant) and my father was my high school math instructor. Now he's teaching at the community college back in the area in which I grew up. I have aunts, uncles, cousins, and a brother-in-law that are in the teaching profession. Yes, I've heard all about the parents who don't give a rat's rear-end about their child's education.

Sometimes I think I've tried to be involved too much. I was helicopter mom during grade school after the bullying incidents. I went to all of the teacher's conferences during middle school. This summer I've learned how much my son has truly blossomed...and he's done it without me in tow.

So I'm thinking that now that he's a sophomore in high school that perhaps helicopter mom needs to back off (ya think?). Don't get me wrong. I'm still going to be in the front row at every single choir performance, help with regionals and state contests, and will likely bake a cookie, brownie or maybe both for forensics tournaments he'll be in second semester. He decided on that instead of speech.

But like I said - I think the teacher meeting ship has sailed.

And I'm no longer on board for the ride. That's my son's job now.