A traveling mother asks older mothers what they are grateful for and what they would have done differently, seeking candid responses from women she likely will never see again. Her own mother was diagnosed with dementia when her first son was born, so she regrets not asking parenting questions earlier and asks strangers instead. Practical advice led to concrete change: she required her high school son to take a camp counselor job, where he learned to manage children, parents, and bosses and experienced the effort behind minimum wage. Another mother advised meeting a quirky son where he was and letting him be himself. Parenting often prompts attempts to shield children from exclusion and hurt.
Answers include simple things like, I wish I had made my high school son get a crappy summer job so he would realize the value of a dollar. That advice always stayed with me, and this past summer, I made my own high school son get a camp counselor job. It turned out to be a great decision - he learned how to manage both kids, parents, and bosses, and also realized how hard you have to work to make minimum wage.
Another piece of advice from a mom I met in St. Lucia was how she was glad she met her son where he was. He was a little different and quirky - he dressed in a really unique style and his hair was completely different from the other kids - and she let him be him and not try to suggest more mainstream ways to fit in. I loved that.
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