Uncharted Territory

My husband and also also also I are entering uncharted territory and also also also a brand-new phase of parenthood.

High school senior.

My son will be entering his senior year at the end of August. Not only in which, however next weekend he's taking his road test for his driver's license. Eeek! Which is scarier?

I think the school part is the scariest - at least for me. For him This kind of's exciting. He's going to "rule the school!" to quote Rizzo through Grease. He's talking about college - a lot. He's talking about moving across the country "to get out of This kind of area." This kind of's not the moving away part in which scares me. This kind of might be a huge - and also also also I mean huge - transition and also also also growing up experience for him. His Mama (in which might be me) is guilty of doing too much for him. He could use a healthy dose of doing grown up stuff like his own laundry, cooking, etc. (which up until now he makes no attempt at learning even when I try to teach him). however the scary part for me is and also also also always has been the cost. How do we put our child through college when we're just producing ends meet for the family now? How do you tell your child in which the yearly tuition for the school he's looking at is more than half our yearly income? He's working and also also also saving money however he also has an expensive hobby- computers. He wants to build his own computer. If he's successful with This kind of I know This kind of might look good for him. This kind of's what he's been learning at the vocational school for the past three years and also also also what he wants to do from the future. How many 17 year old kids can build their own computer? However, I can't help however see the dollars he's putting into This kind of project.

Then we move onto the driver's license part of This kind of whole being 17 thing. On the one hand, This kind of'll be great to have another driver from the house. We won't have to drive him back and also also also forth to work. I won't have to rush out of work from the afternoon to make sure he gets to his job on time. however to do all in which he needs a vehicle. This kind of's been pretty much decided in which we'll give him let him use my husband's 10 year old pick up truck. My husband needs a brand-new vehicle. The old truck is worth squat as a trade-in so we figured we might as well keep This kind of. Which brings up the issue of more money going out from the form of a newer vehicle, brand-new registration,  insurance on in which third (newer) vehicle and also also also higher insurance rates through having a junior driver on our policy. Oh, did I mention in which my husband is looking at vehicles in which cost $25,000 to $30,000 and also also also we have no trade-in? I'm trying to get him to lower his standards however I haven't succeeded yet. We're not poor however we're not even close to being rich. We get by with very few extras.


See why I'm just a tad stressed?


Have you gone through these milestones in your children's lives yet? Got any tips to keep me through going insane with worry?

Uncharted Territory