Senioritis

The new world in which I live in.  I have a son going through what they call Senioritis.  Can't say I have ever heard of it, but according the the Urban Dictionary, it truly does exist. 

Senioritiscollege

noun. A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation.

This is the time of year when our kids have grown up with classmates and school surroundings for 13 years, now knowing it will come to an end the day of graduation.  My son has been dealing with it for a couple of months now.  He is the one who enlightened me about this problem in which many students are going through. It's affecting him in and out of our home.

Over the years, since the days my boys began elementary school, I remind them how quickly friends come and go throughout their school years and it's something they have to deal with.  Many kids find their best friends in elementary school, then in turn end up in middle school seeing them off with new friends. Many losing friends caught up in the drama and excitement of the opposite sex.  I tell them this is normal.  One friend you may have through elementary and middle school, may get to high school and find a new group, and the next thing you know, you're passing each other in the halls only to say hi.  In that time you hope, or then again maybe not, that the friend comes back and your both buds again.  This is the circle of life. Personalities and placement in the world is natural.  But apparently not so natural when the kids reach their Senior year.  Their friends have been highly established by now and the thought of many going off to colleges in different towns or just the fact high school is ending can be traumatizing.

With my son, I am at a bit of a loss.  It's a daily talk over and over again but he's just not getting it but I know he is trying. It's almost like he's depressed so deeply he can't find that light at the end of the tunnel.  In the description above on Senioritis, he has similar characteristics, but certainly not in the attire category.  He still looks sharp, but the studying, dismissive attitude, adding rebellious behavior, is very much true. The only thing I can do as a Mom is continue to talk to him, listen to him, discipline him, and get him through the fact that this is life and it's time to grow up. I tell him he and his friends who will be going off to college will be just a phone call away. Or now I should say Snapchat, Instagram, or Facetime.

Speaking of social media.  This has not helped any of our kids grow up naturally. They are much too wired in.  Natural to me was not having a phone, three channels on TV, and outside every day until dinner was ready.  So wish we could revert back to that world, but I know it will never be.  I can't even do it in my own home anymore.  Yes, we do all kinds of outdoor stuff, but whats better to them are the tablets, video games, and hundreds of channels of TV.  So why go outside and shoot some hoops?  That's boring!  😕

I know what you're thinking... I do understand I as a parent can just take that all away, and trust me, I do.  Tablets are gone, video games are limited, and TV is really just watching some kid play Fortnight on Youtube. (Who so happens to make $500,000 a month doing so).  Apparently it gives them the strategy they need to conquer the game when they play.  Just glad we sit for dinners to talk about what's going on in the world. 

So there you have it, Senioritis. It's just a couple more months before graduation, we can get through it, I know.  But if you notice your Senior acting a bit weird and he or she doesn't quite know how to express it to you, talk to them.  They are scared and feel their place in this world will simply vanish. It is a scary thought if you think about it, but it's also something that can be easily worked out just one day at a time. And trust me, I am doing my best to get my son through it.