Going off to college

You are going off to college. It is a day that I have been preparing for over 18 years. From the time the doctor first put you in my arms minutes after you were born, I knew we were both moving towards this moment.

There is so much I want to tell you, so much I want you to know. In the middle of the day I wonder "did I remember to add the dryer sheets to the list" and during the night I wake up wondering, "I never told him that when his heart feels like it is broken, it will be ok". I think back over the past years and pray that what your father and I have taught you about courage, and sticking up for yourself andn others, not beinig afraid to ask question and to know that no matter what happens, we will always be there for you, and how very proud your Dad and I are of you - the boy you were and the man you are becoming...

You grandmother has a cross stitch hanging in her living room that says "Good parents give their children Roots and Wings. Roots to know where home is, wings to fly away and exercise what's been taught them."
-- Jonas Salk

We have given you the roots that you need to be successful, now it is time to give you wings:

A FINAL GIFT: LETTING GO
(to a teen leaving home)

Boats in the harbor are safe near shore
Far from the unknown sea,
But just as boats were made for more,
It's the same with you and me.

Those who would anchor their teen with a stone
In hopes of preventing a wreck,
Find that their fears are never undone
Andthe stone ends up weighting both necks.

So I give to you a port called home
Where your ship was built so strong,
And if you need to harbor here,
You know that you belong.

And I give to you the maps you'll need
That you may set the course
For places that I'll never see,
So go without remorse.

Tilting your sails into the wind
With hope, and vision and courage--
I kiss you once, then touch your chin
And wish you bon voyage!

-Michael H. Popkin

Helicopter Parents in the Workforce?

I was reading the news when I cam accross this article about Lindsey Lohan, who I guess is a successful actress. I really don't know anyhting about her, except the fact that her mother feels compelled to get involved with her career, and "defend" her poor child who made over 7.5 million during her last picture. I guess she is not alone. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, more and more parents are going to bat for their kids at the office

In interviews with a job candidate last year, Deborah D'Attilio, a recruiting manager in San Francisco for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, was surprised when the young woman brought a companion: Her dad.
Saying "he was interested in learning about the work environment," the father sat in the lobby during the interview, Ms. D'Attilio says. Ms. D'Attilio didn't hold it against the candidate and wound up hiring the young woman.
Helicopter parents are going to work. From Vanguard Group and St. Paul Travelers to General Electric and Boeing, managers are getting phone calls from parents asking them to hire their 20-something kids. Candidates are stalling on job offers to consult with their parents. Parents are calling hiring managers to protest pay packages and try to renegotiate, employers say.

This is not a new issue. Last September, the Wall Street Journal had an article about Helicopter Parents going to College. In this article it talked about a parent who called her son every morning to wake him up for class.

It makes you wonder when we will allow our kids to grow up, or if they ever will.