A Leap of Faith?

I’m a planner and I like to be well-prepared, but in the same respect, I’m extremely spontaneous. I don’t know if that completely makes sense, but in my delusional mind, it does. On occasion, J has suggested that I might be a tad bit controlling as well, but I prefer to call it organized.

In discussing our upcoming trip with our 17 year old, we have determined, with much persuasion whining from the boy, that he is old enough to stay home by himself. Typically he is packed up and shipped to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for the week, but we have decided that this time, he can go it alone.

I should point out that the Grandparents are less than a 5 minute drive away, so it’s not like he is being abandoned in the woods with the coyotes, forced to scrounge for berries and nuts as his sole food source.

Am a worried? Of course. I would be a horrible parent if I didn’t. He has never even spent the night by himself and here I am pushing him into a whole week of self-sufficiency without even thinking twice.

Will he be okay? Probably, if his overactive imagination doesn’t get the best of him. If he hears noises in the night, he automatically assumes something is lurking outside of his bedroom window. It might have just been his parents messing with him, but whatever…

Am I concerned that he will have some wild party in our absence? Of course, but I’d like to believe he’s not stupid enough to try it, especially with his nosey concerned Grandparents so close to home. Not to mention, the fear of eternal damnation I’ve instilled into him throughout his lifetime should be enough to dissuade him from doing anything stupid.

Do I trust him? At this point yes, but we might want to circle back on this one in a couple of weeks.

Will he starve? No, he’s the master of the microwave and besides, Grandma won’t let him starve. Grandpa might, but Grandma certainly won’t.

In my planning mode and to ensure a smooth week, I have been diligently preparing The Boy for this adventure – showing him how to do his own laundry, making a list of things he needs to do on a daily basis. Things like:

1. Feed and water the cat.
2. Lock the doors.
3. Don’t forget to turn off any appliances when you are done with them.
4. Feed the fish and for the love of God, please don’t kill them. If any of them die, I’m making you take a trip with your Dad to the fish store.
5. Go to school.
6. Do your homework.
7. Be good, or else - next time, Grandma is coming to stay WITH you.

Is he listening to me? No. Why would he need to? Apparently teenagers know everything.