Well, the summer has been flying by. As a mom to older children, my birds have been leaving the nest so things have been a bit hectic and that, with other issues, has pre-empted my posting for a long time.
You never know how kids are going to react to new things. Whether driving across the country to a new job and place to live, or moving into an apartment, it's new and unusual and takes time to adjust. How fast kids DO adjust reflects, I think, how much independence they have been given growing up.
I watch in amazement as mothers with small children refuse to allow them any freedom. I have friends who still pick out full outfits for their school age children. Other friends, with high school age children, drive them everywhere and try to plan their futures for them (one co-worker is currently "helping" her child find a college. The requirements include close enough for mom to drive out there and bring home child for the weekend EVERY weekend!)
I don't get it. I encouraged my children to be independent. Yes, they got injured at times. Yes, they experienced bad things. Yes, they suffered from homesickness while away at camp, fights with friends, and deaths of classmates. But they have grown up into independent adults. I know if anything were to happen to their father and/or me, they would be able to cope in today's world. I don't know if some of their friends or some of these other children will be able to.
