High School Headache

It's another cold, snowy, winter-like day here in Denver.  Yesterday was the warmest day of the week with a high of about 38 degrees.  I actually love this weather, I just wish I could stay home when it was like this.  I was thinking the other day that I wish we had a more Victorian model where we would just stay indoors when the weather was bad.  But then I realized that was only for the wealthy, everyone else had to go work in the weather, so it probably wouldn't help me anyway!

It's been a very busy week.  My daughter will be starting high school next year and we attended a high school information night for the district on Thursday.  Our school district has 5 high schools and they all have specialized programs that kids can apply to.  They also open some of the schools up for choice, or we can just send her to our home high school (which is the only way the district will provide transportation).  Her current teachers want her to go to one specific school, which is where all the upper-middle class parents want their kids to go.  But at the moment she's actually interested in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program which is conveniently located at our home school.  She's always said those were her least favorite subjects, though she's always been very good at them, winning an award for science student of the year in 6th grade.  In 7th grade she got an award for overall student of the year.  I will admit that since I love those subjects so much, it's making me really happy that she might choose that program.  But I don't want to try to live vicariously through my child, I want her to make the choice that will make her the happiest.

The high school that is on the same campus as her middle school (which isn't our home school, stupid boundaries!) has a very interesting global studies program that prepares kids to be business leaders.  But I knew listening to their spiel that it would not interest my daughter, and I was right.  She has absolutely ruled that program out.  But she still isn't 100% sure as there are other programs like the IB (International Baccalaureate) program that she may be interested in.  It feels almost like choosing a college and a major...for 13-year olds.  Most 18-year olds don't really know what they want to do with the rest of their lives (heck, some 60-year olds still aren't sure!).  This wasn't what high school was like when I went.  But I told her that even if she decided to apply to the bioengineering STEM program, she could still major in English in college if that's what she decided when the time came.  These programs can give students a leg up, but they don't have to define these kids for the rest of their lives.

It's hard to believe that we're at this stage in our lives.  It seems like such a short time ago when we were talking about starting a family.  High school makes me a little nervous, because she'll be so busy with school work and extracurricular activities, that I know we'll see much less of her.  Then it'll only be four short years once high school starts that she'll be moving away to attend college.  For the time being she said she wants to stay in state, so hopefully we'll still get to see her on a regular basis.  I guess this is one part of parenting that no one can really prepare you for; the letting go.  But that is still 4 1/2 years away, so I can make sure to focus on her and enjoy her company for now.