08/13/2025
This morning I found myself standing in my son's doorway, watching him sleep. Not in a creepy way (okay, maybe a little creepy)—but in that mom way where you suddenly realize you can count the remaining months he'll wake up under your roof on two hands.
Senior year, they said. It'll be fun, they said. 🙃
What they didn't mention was the emotional rollercoaster that would make the previous 17 years look like a kiddie ride at the county fair. To all the parents entering the final countdown with a high school senior, here's what nobody prepares you for:
1. You'll experience emotional whiplash on the daily
One minute you're bursting with pride when that acceptance letter arrives, the next you're sobbing into a load of laundry because you suddenly realized you'll miss washing their disgusting sports clothes. I've gone from planning a college dorm shopping trip with excitement to canceling it because I "just can't today" within the same hour.
2. You become a walking contradiction
I've heard myself say "you need to be more responsible" and "let me do that for you" in the SAME CONVERSATION. I preach about budgeting for college then immediately buy them the expensive hoodie "because it's your last high school winter."
3. Every "last" hits like a ton of bricks
Last first day of school? Sobbed in the car. Last home football game? Couldn't speak. Last school musical? Brought three packages of tissues. Meanwhile, your senior is just living their very best life, completely oblivious to the fact that you're documenting every "last" like a National Geographic photographer on their final expedition.
4. You start seeing glimpses of their adult self that take your breath away
In between moments of typical teenage madness, you suddenly witness this mature human emerge. My son handled a difficult conversation with his coach all on her own. He never asked our help once. These glimpses of their future adult selves simultaneously heal and break your heart.
5. You realize how little time is left to teach them everything
I've found myself delivering random life lessons at inappropriate moments. "So that's how you unclog a toilet! Also, never co-sign a loan for a friend!" The look my son gave me over his cereal bowl suggested this wasn't the morning wisdom he was seeking.
6. You oscillate between wanting time to speed up and slow down
One day you're counting the days until you no longer have to deal with the dirty dishes in their room, and the next you're wishing you could freeze time. I've caught myself hoping traffic would last longer just to have a few more minutes of car conversation. WHO EVEN AM I ANYMORE?
7. You realize this is exactly what you've been preparing them for all along
In quiet moments there's this beautiful realization that they're ready. Not perfectly—but ready enough. And despite the chaos, you realize this transition was always the whole point of the journey.
8. You become weirdly emotional about random childhood items
I found myself crying over a tiny t-shirt while cleaning out drawers. I've become the family historian, preserving artifacts like their first pair of shoes or that macaroni art from second grade. My husband caught me hugging a stuffed animal that hadn't been touched in 10 years and just slowly backed out of the room without comment.
9. You've mastered the art of the stealth photo
Your camera roll is suddenly full of candid shots capturing ordinary moments—them studying at the kitchen table, laughing with friends, even just sleeping on the couch—because you've realized how fleeting these everyday scenes are. You've become a ninja photographer, snapping pics before they notice and object with the standard "Moooom, stop!"
10. College decisions bring a new level of parenting politics
When other parents ask where your kid is applying, you've developed an elaborate dance of being supportive without sounding competitive. You've practiced your "that's wonderful!" response for when their child gets into the dream school yours didn't, and you've learned to celebrate acceptances privately to avoid the comparison game.
11. You realize they're actually excited to leave (and that's okay)
There's that moment when you see them scrolling through their future college's social media with genuine excitement, and it hits you: they're ready and eager for this next chapter. Their lack of sentimentality isn't rejection—it's the result of you raising a confident human who's prepared to fly.
12. You understand that the relationship isn't ending, just changing
In the quiet moments between the chaos, there's a beautiful realization that this isn't goodbye—it's just a new chapter. The countless hours of carpools, homework help, and life lessons have built a foundation for an adult relationship that will continue to evolve and deepen. This is the relationship that will last the rest of your lifetime and you couldn't be happier about that.
So fellow senior parents, embrace the madness. Take too many pictures. Cry in your car. Buy the overpriced senior merchandise. Remember that your heart can be simultaneously breaking and swelling with pride—that's just the going rate for raising humans who are ready to spread their wings.
And maybe stock up on tissues. Trust me on that one. 😭❤️
