Teach your children well

One of the silliest things graduates are told is “Now, you’re

entering the real world.”

High school is the real world. There are real pains and struggles,

love and triumph.

What graduates are entering is the real world without a safety

net. Most parents make sure their children have enough to eat and a

place to sleep. But soon these graduates are on their own,

responsible for their everyday lives and their future.

To graduates, that lack of a safety net translates into freedom.

Sweet, amazing, shocking freedom.

But parents must let go. Suddenly, there are new friends and a

world full of experiences -- good and bad, safe and unsafe. This is

the time that parents cross their fingers and hope everything they

taught their kids will stick.

Many young college students spend their first year or two testing

that freedom. It often takes that time for young adults to realize

that they are the only ones who can determine their future -- and

that a life of partying won’t get them very far.

But for parents who emphasized education, self-worth and

responsibility, the future is bright. Even if they lose sight for a

moment, they usually come back to the straight and narrow if they’ve

been taught well.

And for those young adults who feel you didn’t have the support

you needed at home, this is the time to take control of your life and

make it what you’ve always wanted. Professors and other students can

provide invaluable encouragement along with your own realization that

it’s in your hands.

In the meantime, enjoy the summer. Earn some money, head out to

the beach and spend all the time you can with family and friends,

because, while it’s not fair to say you’ll be entering the “real

world,” it is fair to say things will never be the same.