There Is No One “Correct” Path for All Teens

I have two children. Night and day (aka oldest and youngest ).

I am one of two children. We are also night and day. You may be the night to your day sibling also. Or maybe you birthed night and day (or maybe you have an afternoon kid thrown in there).

You get my point. Square pegs don’t fit into round holes and last I heard; not all of us are round pegs.

There is no right path.

Everyone needs to find their own path

There is no “should.” (Except when stopping at a red light. You really should do this; it’s required).

There is no what works for me will totally work for you. Because I’m not you and you’re not me. This is soooo simple! 

Your kid who was dying to go to the prom may not want to go to the prom like her bestie. And your neighbor who went to an Ivy League school is not like your kid who has learning disabilities.

Your kid wants to go to trade school. Hooray! Do you know how much my plumber charges an hour?! 

I read articles and parenting pages about how all of these people are worried about their 4.7 GPA child with 17 AP classes who didn’t get into his top choice. 

Do you know why they didn’t get in?

Because there are a trillion other kids across the country (and beyond) vying for that same spot. That’s right. Your round peg didn’t fit into his round hole even though he checked all the boxes. He started his own non-profit and volunteered in the soup kitchen and taught Spanish to the elementary school kids. 

Let kids be kids

I’ve written about this before, and I’m sure I will again — because it is insane to me!!!!!! (The overuse of exclamation points is needed).

You know what my kid is doing right now? Watching Impractical Jokers. 

And it’s fine.

It’s fine because he is 17 and on school vacation and wants to be a teenager watching idiotic shows.

He will find a college that works for him. Or a path that works for him.

As will my other kid.

Whose path will look different. Just as my path looked different than my sibling’s. And how your path was different.

It’s fine. 

Do not follow the straight line when you have opportunities to turn. 

Stand out.

Or don’t if it’s not your thing. 

Start your own business.

Or work for one.

Eat vanilla ice cream even if your friends say that’s boring. 

You are not them.

You are you.

And I couldn’t think of anyone more wonderful to be.

More Great Reading:

I Don’t Care Where My Kids Go to College, Neither Should You