Frank, who turns 19 next week, is enrolled in a Florida college now, and is scheduled to attend his orientation next week. He is very excited and so are we! I went with him for the registration process, not because I’m a helicopter mom, but because I didn’t know if he’d need the credit card yet or not. The campus is beautiful!

Since we just moved to Florida, we’ll have to pay non-resident tuition, which will be a bit painful. However, since the school participates in Florida’s common course numbering system, all his credits will transfer to the university in two years when he applies for pre-med. He’ll be majoring in Biology for now.

While he was registering, we had to go to the computer room so he could print out his SAT scores. Another student who was helping him saw the scores pop up on the screen and he said, “Man, you’re good!” His SAT math score enables him to place out of several classes. He placed out of other classes as well by taking AP courses in high school, along with taking AP tests the last few weeks of high school. We are soooo proud!!!

When Ali and Frank entered high school, we told them we would no longer be monitoring their homework and that they no longer had a bedtime. However, there was a catch. If either of them brought home anything less than a B on their report card in any class at all, they would be grounded until the next report cards came out. No exceptions.

The immediate results were awesome for us! We were no longer up past midnight, standing over their shoulders, making sure their work got done. And, we no longer had to run to the office supply store at 8:00 p.m. for materials for a project due the next day. We just let them handle their own schoolwork in its entirety, knowing the consequences if they did not get it done. Oh, and they both gave themselves reasonable bedtimes, and only stayed up late when they were finishing up schoolwork or studying for tests. They never took advantage of the no-bedtime rule by staying up late to goof off, play videogames, or talk on the phone. They simply recognized that they felt better if they got enough sleep and that’s what they did.

The plan worked. Ali and Frank not only made straight A’s on almost every report card in high school (and never anything below a B), but they also both ended up on the honor roll and in the National Honor Society. Sometimes, the way to raise a responsible child is to give them more responsibility.

This week’s Masonism –

One day while swimming this week, Mason (age 5) said, matter-of-factly, “My feet are waterproof.”

Hugs to all,
Angela

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HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY! by Angela Hoy
Using Angela’s MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years, and record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook. Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography! **Also works for biographies and memoirs.**