So Jonny will be 13 in July.

THIRTEEN.

I can’t believe he is nearly a teenager. I’m so not ready for it.

But Jonny is developmentally “young” for his age.

He still has that heart and “innocence” he has had since he was a toddler. He has a way of wrapping himself around your heart and yanking on your every last ‘heart string’ when he interacts with you.

He’s just so genuine.

He wears his heart on his sleeve and connects better with kids 3 and 4 years younger than him. There have even been times when he’s come home crying because the YOUNGER kids weren’t playing fair or being too rough.

Jonny still carries around a stuffed Darth Vader everywhere he goes (Think “Calvin and Hobbes”) and they have been together since he was 4 years old.

He makes videos of his stuffed animals playing together sometimes 2 or 3 hours long. It’s super-endearing.

But I am worried.

Why?

Because Jonny is starting in-person Junior High tomorrow.

One of the advantages of him doing remote learning for Junior high was the lack of physical interaction with other kids.

You know how Junior High can be.

My mother has been helping him doing his remote school but there has rarely been a week that has gone by without him breaking down in tears for one reason or another. And this was doing remote school… where he can turn off his camera and mute his microphone.

It’s been a struggle.

I told Jonny he might be more comfortable sticking it out with remote learning for the rest of the year, but Jonny wants to meet his teachers in person. He wants to see his classmates in person. He wants to actually EXPERIENCE junior high school IN PERSON.

So, I want to honor that decision (especially since there are only like 6 weeks left in the school year.)

But still, I worry.

He won’t have my mother there to help him. He won’t be able to “turn his camera off” if he has a melt down.

He will also have to interact with kids NOT in his class.

Kids who are older.

“Middle-schoolers.”

😬😬😬

I’ve done my best to prepare him, but I still can’t fathom my boy as nearly a teenager.

THIRTEEN!!! 🤯🤯🤯

Maybe Jonny is not the one who is “unprepared” for junior high.

😳

Maybe Daddy is the one having a tough time with Jonny being in Junior high.

I have to remember that just because I had a tough time at that age doesn’t mean it will be the same for Jonny.

Heck, Jonny is a million times “cooler” than I was back then.

Jonny is probably gonna kill it at Junior High and come back asking me when he can learn to drive… 🤪

Here’s to tomorrow!!

#ausome #MyRareTreasure #kabukisyndrome

Original Facebook Post.