I now take the bus with my son to school every day. He probably finds it rather comforting since adjusting to a new learning environment could be daunting, which is something alleviated by my presence. More importantly, he is not the kind who can wake up readily in the morning, so I have resorted to feeding him breakfast on the bus ride.
Today, he innocently asked me about my career plans. I told him that I would most likely stay put in the elementary school until his younger sister got to graduate. That’s nine years in the making.
“Then, after she graduates, would you transfer to my secondary school?” he asked.
“Why, do you want to travel to secondary school with me?” I asked in return.
He sheepishly answered yes.
Oh darling, I don’t think that you will want to be associated with me when you reach your independence-seeking teenage years. But since I could only live in the now, I soaked up his sweet sentiment. That he wanted us to commute together many years down the road.
His comment already made my day. The rest is just details.
It's wild when your kids start to realize that the things we do are separable from who we are.
And probably another wild realisation when my son realises that I’m not superhuman.
I’m an atrocious artist but he thinks that I am Picasso reincarnated haha
Our daughter tells us that she wants to live with us when she's grown up, which she probably won't but of course we tell her that she can live with us as long as she wants to.
I think it’s amazing that the empty nest syndrome starts when teens turn 18! I don’t think I would have been ready to move out and live on my own at that tender age (even though I did military conscription for about 1.5 years around that time). Barring two years in Japan, I lived with my parents until the ripe old age of 34 haha
I really don't know how I feel about this.
We moved out after high school and that independence was a valuable experience.
We also incurred a lot of avoidable costs and probably aren't as good at living with other people as we would have been otherwise.
There is no better feeling than knowing your child genuinely enjoys your company.
Soak up every single one of those bus rides, these are the memories he’ll carry with him long after he’s grown.
Never thought of it that way before. Thanks for pointing it out!
Very cute! I, for one, can't wait till my kids are off being independent. ~lol