Sweet 16!
February 4, 2010 by Frank Hooks · 3 Comments
First of all, I am amazed that I have helped create a human being and have gone through sixteen years with him. His mom and I are excited for him and we truly hope he is enjoying his high school years since we don’t have much time left with him. Before the blink of an eye he will be a man and off living his life.
It seems like a lot of parents and the government are completely paranoid about their teens getting a driver’s license. Karen and I can’t wait. I wish he could have gotten his license on his birthday, but with his broken leg and all, he’s a little behind schedule. However, in a couple of weeks, we should have a new driver in the house.
I am looking forward to this for mainly selfish reasons. When you have three children, a lot of your life is spent in the car. Almost every night of the week, either Karen or I are driving around for dance, soccer, swim, surfing and whatever else you can think of. We believe the kids need to work hard in school, but we also believe they should have an athletic endeavor to keep fit, so it is all brought upon ourselves.
About three years ago, I had a melt down in the car. It was Labor Day weekend and there was a soccer tournament. Why do these morons schedule games at seven in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays? After a long week at work and spending the entire weekend at a soccer tournament in one hundred degree heat, I lost my temper in the car on the way home. All this driving around was getting to me. Something had to give. We had to change our priorities and we had to actively look to carpool with other families.
I got over my tizzy and life continued, but when you’re child is fifteen there is a constant tug of war going on. They want to do more and go more places, but they are entirely dependent on you for transportation. I don’t know about you, but getting up at 5:30 in the morning, working all day and then picking your son up at 11:30pm on Friday night at a party that is eight miles from your house just isn’t appealling. I’m becoming a fuddy duddy.
Here we are on the brink of a new driver in the house and I can’t wait. He can take himself to and from school. He can help drive his sisters around. He can drive himself to and from swim practice. He can drive himself to and from the beach. We cand send him to the grocery store. We can make him go gas up the car. It seems the possibilities are endless.
You’d think it’s my birthday as excited as I am.
I'm a 41 year old happily married father of three great kids. We live and love in Southern California. My blog is an outlet for me to pontificate on all things great about being a dad.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
So excited now that I’m over the initial shock of being a mom of a kid who is 16 years old! - Karen
Frank, Karen: When my oldest son (stepson) turned 16 (21 next week), he could drive himself to school at St. Augustine High School, which is closer to his mom’s house. Until Brian was 16, Howard had to drive, sometimes 120 miles per day, to get Brian to/from school and activities. Our family was split apart, and I felt like a single parent with our two younger kids because Howard was always driving Brian around the county. So, I can totally relate to the liberating feeling of having a child capable of driving!!!!
I am a few weeks ahead of you guys and it is BLISS!!! My 16-yr got his license at 8:30 am (first appt of the day at the DMV) in the pouring rain on his 16th birthday. Now, if he can treat all of his obligations in life with that kind of promptness, I have raised the bestest kid!
Enjoy! Oh … by the way, a sophomore cannot drive themselves to and from school… not until they are a junior. Bummer to rain on that part of your parade:)
Sherry