Ticking the boxes of parenthood ...

[Fab Foodie]

I was musing on the lot of the parent and how we often chart our offspring's development and milestones by ticking off another box.
When they were babes, it was first words, first standing-up first dry nights etc.
As they grow there's the transition through schools, exams, first boyfriends, first drunkenness, driving lessons etc.
Today with my eldest we went on her first 'Uni visit' to UWE Bristol as a potential Art and Graphic Design student (she's currently on the Art foundation at Oxford Brookes). This was her first visit/interview of 5. There was a lot of tension and nerves last night. A couple hours after I dropped her off I got an excited call from her, they've offered her a place already! My eldest daughter has a University place ... another box ticked.

 

[col]

I was musing on the lot of the parent and how we often chart our offspring's development and milestones by ticking off another box.
When they were babes, it was first words, first standing-up first dry nights etc.
As they grow there's the transition through schools, exams, first boyfriends, first drunkenness, driving lessons etc.
Today with my eldest we went on her first 'Uni visit' to UWE Bristol as a potential Art and Graphic Design student (she's currently on the Art foundation at Oxford Brookes). This was her first visit/interview of 5. There was a lot of tension and nerves last night. A couple hours after I dropped her off I got an excited call from her, they've offered her a place already! My eldest daughter has a University place ... another box ticked.

Great news, I know how this feels as my son has been offered his place for engineering too.

 

[rusky]

That's great news!

The "become a grandparent" tick box is looming ever closer though

 

[Fab Foodie]

That's great news!

The "become a grandparent" tick box is looming ever closer though

 

[Beebo]

Great news.

I remember my dad's watering eyes as he hugged me when he left me at uni for the first time. For me it was the start of a huge adventure, for him it was the closing of a major chapter in his life, his son had reached adulthood, job done!!

I have never seen him so emotional since, even on my wedding day or when i presented him with his first grandchild.

 

[Flying Dodo]

I was musing on the lot of the parent and how we often chart our offspring's development and milestones by ticking off another box.
When they were babes, it was first words, first standing-up first dry nights etc.
As they grow there's the transition through schools, exams, first boyfriends, first drunkenness, driving lessons etc.
Today with my eldest we went on her first 'Uni visit' to UWE Bristol as a potential Art and Graphic Design student (she's currently on the Art foundation at Oxford Brookes). This was her first visit/interview of 5. There was a lot of tension and nerves last night. A couple hours after I dropped her off I got an excited call from her, they've offered her a place already! My eldest daughter has a University place ... another box ticked.

You missed out the most important of them all...........teaching them how to ride a bike!!

Seriously, well done Miss FF (and you).

 

[Davidc]

Mine are now in their 30s and I'm still ticking!

Sounds as if it's going well though FF & daughter.

 

[Archie_tect]

My mother visited yesterday, and told me I needed a haircut... I'm 52.

 

[summerdays]

Mine's off to UWE tomorrow but just on some kind of experience day, as she is still Y12, and I will have this to come next year.

However it's also the date for secondary places, so potentially another milestone though I'm not sure that the answer will be revealed tomorrow.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Mine's off to UWE tomorrow but just on some kind of experience day, as she is still Y12, and I will have this to come next year.

However it's also the date for secondary places, so potentially another milestone though I'm not sure that the answer will be revealed tomorrow.

Thanks all>

Beebo, I'll probably be in bits too when we finally drop her off wherever she goes, it'll be the end of an era.
@ Summerdays, Hope all goes well tomorrow!

 

[summerdays]

Well problem is we changed address during the process and I've no idea whether the application has kept up or got lost!!!

And as for what you will be like when she goes to Uni ... my parents apparently continued setting the table for me for a week or two before they started to get better and feel a little happier about it.

 

[Linford]

Have they given an indication of the course fees FF ?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

That's great news!

The "become a grandparent" tick box is looming ever closer though

Becoming a grandparent was intimidating as an idea - not easy to think of myself as a granddad - but when it happened, the reality of it was wonderful, simple and so very natural. It's a whole new set of tick boxes! She's still too young to get a tick for riding her toddlebike but it's not far off...

 

[dellzeqq]

you have to look at this in reverse. Consider how they come, gradually, to the realisation that you're not a superperson, that you have good and bad days, that, as time goes by, you show signs of wear and tear, and, by degrees, become you become more and more feeble in body and mind.

Then they start worrying about your drinking......

 

[Linford]

Becoming a grandparent was intimidating as an idea - not easy to think of myself as a granddad - but when it happened, the reality of it was wonderful, simple and so very natural. It's a whole new set of tick boxes! She's still too young to get a tick for riding her toddlebike but it's not far off...

Would agree with this. I'll be looking to get my grandaughter a balance bike for either her 3rd Birthday or the following Christmas (but she is already sitting on horses (riding in the fields with her mum in walk and trot), and has been sitting on them since she was old enough to sit up unaided.