When I was young and naive I thought that all my children would graduate from high school, go to college, graduate, fall in love, get married, buy a house and have children. Seemed so simple, until reality hit me. Funny, it should have hit me a long time ago, my own life didn't go along that route.
My expectations have definitely changed over the years. We were delighted when one child reached the age of 18 with a GED, no arrest record and still alive. What a shift in my expectations!
Some children struggle more then others. Some just can't walk along the beaten path, they walk off the path and stumble for a long time to find their own way.
I have found with all my children that they hit a certain age and really want to be independent. Some children become independent much more smoothly then others. It is scary to watch them go. I realize how little they know about life and they assume that they know everything.
So, I shift my expectations once again this year because I will not have two girls starting the 11th grade. Joselin has decided that she wants to study for her GED. She has struggled with school since she came at the age of 10. She did not have any formal education until that time so has really had to work to try and catch up. When I take into account her actual age (18) and her Guatemalan culture I can understand why she would chose this path. I don't like it, but I understand it.
So, I bought her that fat book and and my new expectation is that she will study it!
I have a really good friend (a fellow Drama Mama) who says schools like to put square pegs into round holes and the only way to do that successfully is to beat the sh*t out of the square peg. She's right. School isn't for every kid. Adjusting expectations is a good thing for everyone. Just my opinion...
ReplyDeleteI suggest that most kids fit the public education mold and do fine with parental involvement. GED programs can offer a viable alternative to earning an elusive high school diploma. However, many employers still give preference to high school grads over GED diploma kids. As a GED graduate from long ago, I found out firsthand the limitations that the GED provided. This bias did not end until I earned an associate’s degree.
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