I can't believe I have an eighth grader.
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| "Mom, this is ridiculous." |
Today Martin started his first day as an eighth grader at Aquinas Middle School. It's a bigger Catholic school (80 kids in his grade rather than 9) with a lot of athletic opportunities. He woke up a little nervous, but the day went very well.
He has a lot more personal responsibility at Aquinas. He has a combination locker, sign-in information and a flash drive for his computer class, a PIN for his meal plan (which he has to budget his money), and a schedule of classes he has to follow and be on time. This is all really good for him. It forces him to pay attention and focus on his responsibilities.
With a larger class size there is a lot more competition academically and athletically. He definitely figured this out right away. He had to bring his algebra book home to cover. He spent a lot of time paging through it trying to refresh his memory. He also realized the guys who are trying out for sports are also good at sports. Martin responds to competition.
In years past, he had a uniform to wear everyday. Now he has a dress code: khaki pants and a solid color polo shirt. He's allowed to wear sneakers. Last week, he and I spent hours (and I mean hours) shopping for just the right pair of Nike's. He seems to like the dress code because there is a variety.
Admittedly, I was a little nervous sending my son to a bigger school. I worried about what he would be exposed to or he would feel too overwhelmed. I have finally come to the conclusion that he is growing up and he needs room to actually grow up. As much as I prefer it, he can't live under my wing forever. Basically, I need to get it together. Because this time next year, I will have a high schooler. *gulp*
