One of my high school friends just started a new job as the principal at the same high school his own kids attend. He shared a photo on social media this week of his ear-to-ear grin while standing next to his two good-natured teens on their first day of school together.
But back in high school, he was the guy in our first period Spanish class who would read the daily bulletin and make up stories along the way just to delay the start of the actual instruction as long as possible. He also spent one day repeatedly and clandestinely climbing out the window of that classroom and then reentering through the front door to the amusement of the students and the flummoxed stare of our teacher, who couldn’t figure out how he kept entering seemingly without ever exiting.
Parents, you can take some worry and pressure off yourself—and maybe your kids, too—with the occasional reminder that high schoolers today aren’t yet who they’ll be tomorrow. Whether or not your student is achieving at their full potential, time, college, and the right parenting combination of expectations and unconditional love have a wonderful way of helping them eventually become their best adult selves.