<p>Writing this with tears in my eyes! I still have a 13 year old at home who loves MT, but she recently informed me that she really didn’t think MT would be a “wise career choice” Hahaha! - although big sister definitely disagrees! D went from Lilli Vanessi last year to “Lady #6” this year (and yes, I also sobbed the last show last year) - what a difference a year makes! All of our kids are the stars of high school, and then so happy if they make ensemble (if they’re even in a school where Freshmen can audition). Killed us not to be there opening night - a first, but we will get to see her next weekend, and as @shaun0203 said, we also have seen her a lot this year, long Christmas break, and she will be home the first week of May for the summer. Ditto on being able to keep up/see pictures/know what’s going on - much better than when WE were in college. I’m now worried that this will be her last summer at home! And by the end of last summer, @mom4bwayboy, D was SO ready to be out of here. </p>
<p>Some positive words for those of you blue about your kid moving on; it’s great! It’s great for them, for you, and for any other siblings you still have at home. Your MT child will grow and change and mature in ways you didn’t think possible over the next four years. Your house (if you have no kids left at home) will be clean when you go to bed and still clean when you wake up, you’ll learn to love your freedom and the quiet of the house. You’ll find when he/she comes home you’ll be really happy but just as happy when they go back to school and get your private and independent time back (and clean house). If you have other kids still home you’ll be amazed at how they’ll change and develop into stronger people and how much closer your relationship will become. And if you’re married, you’ll rediscover your spouse.</p>
<p>This is all good for everyone and is the way it should be. Good luck!</p>
<p>We just got back from a great trip to NYC and Long Island to visit LIU Post. Mom and I let D handle most of the directions and the trip planning, negotiating the subway, talking to the cabbies, etc. She’s turning out to be a strong, confident, common sense young woman. We are simultaneously proud and hurt. When we dropped her off at the campus to attend classes and visit with students we wanted to help her find the right building and the right room. She got out of the car and said “don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.” Mom and I just sat in the parking lot and looked at each other</p>
<p>LOL @cheeseheadmike. I know its like now what do we do. It is great she is independent but so hard to see it happen. @amtc thanks for sharing that does help knowing we will get through this transition.</p>
<p>Is it wrong to be happy that our 15 year old S is probably going to spend his first two college years living at home while attending the local community college? </p>
<p>No because I have a 16 year old doing the same thing!!</p>
<p>I really thought I’d feel more sentimental right now than I do. But sometimes I look at her and think, “Are you still here?” Maybe because this college application process was so much longer for her than it was for our older child. And she is just so ready to go to college. She didn’t end up doing her final school production because performances were right after Unifieds, so we didn’t experience that “this is her last show” thing – maybe that contributed to the current lack of sentiment, I’m not sure. And she’s doing one more show with community theatre that hasn’t started yet, so maybe the tears over that will come, but I kind of doubt it.With her, we are already looking forward to the firsts. Don’t get me wrong – I have plenty of tears, but they are of happiness and relief and anticipation. I can’t wait to see where she goes from here! It doesn’t feel like an end of anything, it feels like a beginning. Maybe because that’s how she’s looking at it…I’m not sure. Interesting, anyway! I have to say I’m glad I’m not dreading sending her off, because wherever she decides to go, it’ll be 2000 miles away from home! :)</p>
<p>Haha @cheeseheadmike - we also have a senior in college living at home who was out of the house - missed housing deadline - long story! I can assure everyone that while he is a great kid we are ready for him to “spread his wings.” 
Your kids have so much to look forward to - living with people who love the same things they love and doing what they love all day every day! Great adventures await them!!!</p>
<p>Cheese and NewYork, I have a 23-year-old S that has done just that. He will graduate next month, but I’m not sure his student loans will allow him to move out soon. We enjoy having him around, but sometimes wish we didn’t have to KNOW that it’s 2 am and he isn’t home yet.</p>
<p>My husband just asked me, “Did you tell S that he can live at home with us forever and he doesn’t have to go to college???” After the past 6 months of insanity, I felt confident when I smiled and said, “Yep.”</p>
<p>@AsstToTheMT - I sometimes have the same “are you still here” thought. The college process is so much harder and more involved for performing arts kids, it feels like we’ve been working on getting D into college for four years now…oh wait, we have! I am grateful for the close relationship D and I have, but can definitely see that she is ready to spread her wings and start the next phase of her life. Meanwhile, S is a sophomore in hs and is looking to take the STEM route in college, yay! It has been interesting to see how he has responded to his older sister’s college process, and sometimes he seems more excited about the mail than her (but probably because he’s eyeing up her bigger room lol). As I keep telling S, “just wait, when your sister is gone 100% of my parental attention will be on you!” :D</p>
<p>LOL @AMOthersLove my son tells my daughter the same thing wait til I am gone everything will be focused on you. I agree I am very excited to see where this journey will take him. He is ready not saying I am but he is so excited that we are giving him the opportunity to pursue his dreams and do something he loves everyday. he is excited to be around people who have the same passion he does everyday. He has already been skyping with some kids and it has been a great experience. So grateful. I have to say I am so grateful for all of you being here supporting me and my son. What a great group!!!</p>
<p>My Acting S is the youngest of our 4. They all took slightly different routes in college but the first three were close to home. My middle son finished his first degree then decided he wasn’t happy with job opportunities with that one and is now on degree 2. He is living at home and lived at home for the last part of degree 1. He is engaged now and will be married next summer so by then he will be finished, have a job (hopefully!!!) and begin his own life. My other two are married and have children and both lived within 5 miles of us until my daughter’s husband got transferred two hours away. We are very lucky!!! I love having the two at home and being close to the others. Acting S has always said he would go away for college. Ever since he was 9 years old he has said “I want to be an actor”. Yesterday we were talking about visiting Syracuse over his spring break. He gave me the EXACT mileage from our house to there and from his sister’s house to there. Still waters run deep. Then he said “I will miss you guys more than you know and I am only going away so I can come back better than ever.” I knew then that I should not take his leaving personally. I think for me the take away is…we worry if they stay, we worry if they go. Someone once told me the hardest part about being a parent is to let them write their own destiny. For
sure. Even though Shrek is not going to pull at my heart strings as much as some of these other shows you have talked about…I will need tissues for Who I’d Be. I can’t wait to see how his journey turns out!! Thanks for all the support on this page. NEVER would have gotten through without it. Still some unanswered questions but we are getting there!!</p>
<p>@deamer18 we did Shrek this year too. Last year was the big year he played Phantom. Honestly it would have just been way too much with all these auditions. As you all know this process started way back in November and we still have one audition at the end of this week. That is so nice that your S said those things almost made me cry and I dont even know him LOL.</p>
<p>@AsstToTheMT I was similar to you. I was more looking forward to the firsts and excited for her. I still have yet to have the breakdown of her being gone. We text all the time and with all the social media I still know what is going on in her life. She has come home often with breaks and we both thought Christmas break(a month) was a little too long. I do think this is the last summer home though. The time I feel sentimental is when shows open and I can not be there or there is a tour in town and she is not here to go with me. She is too far away so I have to pick and choose what I can go out and see her in.</p>
<p>I have noticed even more confidence and growth in her. She really is becoming an adult. Before I used to say there was so much change in a year now I see a big change each time she comes home on break </p>
<p>congrats!</p>
<p>I must be the oddball. Yes, I absolutely adore DD. She is my only and we are so very close. :x That being said, I can’t say that this year is going fast. It doesn’t seem like “yesterday” when she started senior year, HS or kindergarten. To me it seems like forever ago when these things happened. People always say cherish each moment, and I can’t see how parents don’t cherish them!</p>
<p>I am over the moon excited about her going away to school. I think it’s due to the fact that I was so over the moon when I left for college, and had a fabulous time! Going through this admissions/audition process has been such a joy - I’m going to miss that because we had such a fabulous time (and the college admissions process is my passion). </p>
<p>She had her final show last week and although I was a little sad and I was a little sad but kept thinking “Ok, she had a great run, but she’s so ready for some intense training”. I can definitely see how she has been the “big fish” and look forward to her facing some true reality in this business. She has so much raw talent that I know can be perfected with four years of good hard work. </p>
<p>Now stressing about roommates, yeah I got that!</p>
<p>:-O </p>
<p>@sydsim - your relationship with your D sounds like me and I have to tell you I know just as much now about what is going on in her life as I did when she was home. I feel our relationship has grown even more since she has been away at school. It is wonderful when they come home on break and you see the growth. I will always be her Mom but we are developing a more mature and adult relationship and it is wonderful. </p>
<p>The stress of roommates never goes away, although my D did learn this year she can live alone and likes it. Her roommate stays with other friends all the time. Next year she is choosing to live with friends she has met this year so heres to hoping that works out well</p>
<p>Reading all of these is really making me laugh. Because just earlier today, I texted my daughter (MT daughter who will be going to college in August) “Boo hoo, what are dad and I gonna do without our favorite drug of choice - what will we do without you. I’m gonna come to the school and sleep with you in your dorm bed.” To which she replied “haha you thought!” To which I responded, “C’mon I can fit. I wanna go party with you and your friends or sit in on your acting class. Can’t I go to college with you? And dad said he wants to quit his job too and go to college again. He is so jealous of you right now!” </p>
<p>Between our addiction to watching all the shows she was in, and frankly - this awful minute by minute process of this final year (which was nothing like the regular other three college graduates we had,) I really think we’re going to need therapy to get over the emptiness in the house that first month or so. (even though we have others behind her.) hahahha. I’m glad I read these posts. But my daughter herself is ready to cut the ties - has matured so much this year - and somewhat due to this harrowing process, I am completely amazed by who she is now, vs. last year. These kids are all actually “READY” to leave us without a second look - Hooray, we have done our jobs! Good luck to all with your decisions!</p>