Advice for my Son: Those First Few Steps Are Always the Hardest

Last Updated on October 8, 2018 by Diane Hoffmaster

This advice for my son is part of a paid campaign with The Mission List and the Center for Parent and Teen Communication.  All opinions are my own.

The last two months have been incredibly emotional for me.  I sent my first born off to college 2 months ago.  There were tears (both mine and his), the worry over college costs, and the chaos of shopping and moving.  Where did my baby go? How is this college kid the very same boy who struggled to read in kindergarten?  Then and now....  how did we get here so fast?

 

Advice for my son THEN:

The First Step is Always the Hardest

You had no interest in taking your first steps.  You were 30 pounds and happy to be carried until you were 14 months old.  No matter how many times I clapped, called, or tempted you with a favorite toy,  you weren't ready.  Until one day you were.

 

 

You took those first steps and kept on going.  Not because *I* wanted you to.  But because you yourself were ready.  You found the inner fortitude you needed to let go of the table and put one foot in front of the other.  And sure, you fell a few times.  We all do.  But you got up and kept on going.  A little bit nervous but pushing that aside because it was TIME for you to take those first steps.  You knew it... even if I was a little bit impatient.

Advice for my son NOW:

Take Life One Step at a Time

Now, you are older, wiser, and eat a whole lot more food than you did when you were two.  (And I have the grocery bills to prove it!).  And just like when you were little, I can't take these next steps for you.  No matter how much I cheer you on or encourage you to go to tutoring so you can pass college Chemistry. You have to dig deep and find that inner courage that I KNOW you possess and make it happen for yourself.

And I am so proud of the steps  you have already taken in the last 2 months.  You are finding your way around a new city, making new friends, and earned a spot on your college rowing team. And I know that those steps were so much harder than the ones you took when you were two.

Life is a Journey Best Taken One Step at a Time

The video below from the Center for Parent and Teen Communication really moved me.  It's hard to find that balance between protecting your child and giving them the independence they need to learn and grow.

We all need a guide sometimes when it comes to parenting.  If you want some insight into parenting teens, check out this blog post from Dr. Ken Ginsburg. It is up to us as parents to help our teens become their best selves.  But that doesn't mean we don't stumble along the way a few times.

What amazing things are YOUR teens accomplishing this year?