Ways to Make Your Senior’s

Last Year MemorableBy DeShonna Johnson

Your senior’s final year of high school is a mishmash of lasts. The last first day of an eight hour school day. The last club fundraiser. The last picture day (thank God, in my case). The last year with the same people they’ve seen day in and day out. Along with this assortment of lasts is the checklist every senior has had engrained into their minds at each meeting with a school counselor: apply for college; take the SAT/ACT; retake the SAT/ACT; complete the FASFA; study and finish strong in your classes, and so on. All of this while your senior is using every ounce of their body to not fatally fall to Senioritis. Yet, it is this conglomerate of tasks and events that create the most

stressful and rewarding year your child will experience — the parties and celebration of beating acne will no doubt help, too. But don’t forget your part in this, though. As the parent of a senior, you have the ability to impact your senior’s final lap, as well. Below, you will find seven ways for you to make the beautiful chaos of

senior year memorable. Don’t worry, you won’t have to go out and buy them a brand new Range Rover, but you are going to need to invest time and emotion to make sure their last year is the absolute best.

12

Start Cutting the Leash Little by Little

One memorable thing you can do as your child’s senior year is underway is to start trusting them with more freedom. Whether they asked for another hour added to their curfew or if they want to dye their hair purple, allow them to make that choice. Before they enter the real world, this is

really the only time they will be able to embrace that insane/crazy/kids-these-days teen angst they are looking to let out. If they are going to college, they’re just going to do it anyway — except 24/7. If they’re not looking down the college route, they’ll move out and still, do it anyway. At least with a little legroom during senior year, they won’t be longing for freedom and overdo it later in life. Cutting the leash isn’t just about

curfews though. You need to let your

child make mistakes. As parents, it’s easy to shelter your child from the hard knocks but once they’re away at college, it’s harder to be there for them when they mess up. Also, it may hurt your child more in the long run. Making mistakes is a prime opportunity to learn how to fix them. If you don’t cut the leash a little now, they may be running back home sooner than you thought.

Encourage and Support Your Senior

Outside of letting your senior gain a little more independence, supporting your senior every step of the way will also make their final year memorable. During the demanding year, there’s nothing better than having your parents on your side. It reduces your senior’s stress when they know they can come to you for guidance and support.

Though this may seem obvious, there are creative ways to show your support for your son or daughter. Buying apparel donning their future college, reassuring them when they’re stressed with AP or IB classes, or just not adding any pressure on themare a few examples. Don’t push your child into doing something they don’t see as part of their life plan. If your child doesn’t feel like college

would be a fit for them, accept that. College isn’t for everyone. If your kid has a knack for cooking and wants to go to culinary school, let them. Would you rather your kid love where he is and thrive or hate his current situation and inevitably fail? In the same boat, if your child does want to go to college, don’t pressure them to go to your alma mater. Let them choose what institution they would like to attend (within financial budget, of course).

3

4 6

5 7

Another way of supporting your senior is to be by their side when they are filling out the FASFA and any student loan applications. Seniors may want their independence, but they don’t understand your income tax or the difference between a high interest rate and a low one. Don’t let them take on

this task by themselves just yet.

Attend As Many of their Events as Possible

Your child’s sophomore year award ceremony at 9 a.m. may not have been a big deal to miss. Any major event that comes this last go-round, however, is basically mandatory to attend, such as an award ceremony or the drama club musical. Don’t miss out on some of your child’s last moments of high school. Go to as many of their extracurricular

or academic events as possible. Why? Whether it is FBLA or National Honor Society, these clubs have been a major part of your senior’s life for the past three years. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the last, would you? Though your participation in past events may not have been necessary — or even wanted — senior year is different. It’s arguably the most memorable, and wouldn’t you want your senior to remember you attended every event possible? Not to mention, you may benefit from

this, as well. While you’re dreading the day you have to let your baby go, going to as many of their events as possible allows you to spend extra time with them before they go off into the

world. Your children are growing into adults, why not watch them as they evolve?

Tell Them How Proud You AreWhen is the last time you and your

child really had a heart-to-heart where you told them how proud you were? In the packed schedule most families carry, our lives can become heavy with school projects and work, leaving us with few chances for serious communication. Telling your child you are proud of the adult they are becoming is a great way to make their final year memorable. It doesn’t have to be a Shakespearean mono-logue, but a simple comment acknowledg-ing the growth you may have seen in your child over

the years. Making their achievements and growth obvious will make your child believe the work they are doing isn’t going unnoticed. It’s far nicer than having to hear the usual spiel about what they aren’t doing. After all, they are about to graduate from high school and for some people, that’s not an easy feat. Show them you’re proud; I know you are.

Start Saving for #Prom2k16 NOWIt’s important to start saving money

for the dress or tuxedo your child will want for senior prom, among other things like senior photos, class rings, homecoming and yearbooks. Though prom may seem like just a dress, prom is no easy financial deed. When I was a high school senior, the most girls spent on prom was about $500-$1,000, and that wasn’t including hair and shoes. If you’re not into spending that much,

at least begin looking for alternatives to buying prom attire ahead of time. Look into renting a suit instead of purchasing

one. Some boutiques may let you rent dresses, but those are hard to find. Whatever you do, don’t wait until April to start forming a plan with your senior. It’s possible to wait until the beginning of the year, but the really popular dresses can get real pricey, real quick. By April, the best dresses will be gone, and your senior could end up wearing the same dress as three others girls who didn’t plan ahead of time either. If your senior works part-time, they can help add to the prom fund too. If not, go ahead and start saving so your senior can feel like prom royalty.

Plan a Senior trip Gone are the days when summer

vacations are just a one week trip to a major city. Nowadays, some teens are going on month-long excursions overseas to celebrate their high school graduation. Planning your senior a surprise celebratory trip could be a great way to make their last year memorable. Popular destinations like

Europe, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic are terrific choices and can be affordable if you find a decent all-inclusive travel package through a travel agency. If your senior is more indie, maybe plan a

secret road trip across the country with their

friends or the rest of the family. If finances

are a concern, check with your church to

see if they are planning any summer mission trips. Not only is this a great way for your senior to celebrate their success, they can help others.

MoneyIf all else somehow seems to fail in

making your senior’s last year unfor-gettable, give them loads of money at graduation. They’ll need it soon.