<p>I’m surprised that they’re allowing the kids to drink, but I would have let D do so as well. Starting at age 16, we allowed both kids (although S refuses - he hates the taste) small amounts of wine with dinner from time to time. We believe in the ‘modeling responsible drinking’ method, although I know it’s controversial. For our family, it’s been the right thing to do. Neither kid is by temperament a partier - as soon as S gets his license he says he’s going to be the designated driver for his crowd.</p>
<p>Booklady:</p>
<p>Ditto here for small samples at home starting at 16, proper modeling behavior and S is not a big partier. Being in the LA area, I’m pretty sure he’d rather keep enjoying the experience of driving our car versus the short time buzz at a party and removal of driving privledges. As for after he’s in college, he already volunteered to us that he plans to keep any drinking under control.</p>
<p>He’s told us before how disgusting he thinks people get when they are drunk or high.</p>
<p>He’s seen us patterning moderation in all things for years (well, except sometimes working hard 
) so I’m hoping this is a lesson learned.</p>
<p>Indeed. Some people don’t believe me when I tell them that D didn’t drink in high school - but a)they are people who don’t know her and b)she didn’t have much of a social life back then. She does drink in college, and has told us so right from the beginning, but she hates feeling out of control, so it’s one drink at a time. </p>
<p>S has so far tried sips of things at parties (he <em>does</em> have a social life), didn’t like the taste, and like your S thinks drunk people are stupid. So far he has yet to come home smelling like alcohol or like anything used to try and cover up the smell of alcohol. :)</p>
<p>I would not have a problem in letting my DD have wine with dinner in Europe. It would be an easy, safe way to demystify alcohol. </p>
<p>And good question about a dream school…I just don’t have an answer! My D wants a school that has sororities and fraternities and is not cold…Deep, I know! ;)</p>
<p>My dream school for S1 was MIT and he thought so too. He didn’t get in however. He ended up at Carnegie Mellon and it’s been great for him. I have to say, CMU was a place I knew little about at the start of the process, but it really grew on me. For S2, dream school might be U. of Chicago, but I don’t know if he’d like their core. Vassar would be fine too and location is great and might appeal to his more artsy self. </p>
<p>As for the drinking thing. Neither of my kids will taste wine or beer at home so I assume they aren’t drinking with their friends.</p>
<p>I would pick University of Richmond as my Parental Perogative school for S. It’s a high match/borderline reach. But, it has everything he’s looking for.</p>
<p>mathmom, if your S2 heads out to Chicago, let me know! S1 loves to take prospies around and show them the place.</p>
<p>With my first kid, I picked Franklin W. Olin for my Parental Perogative. </p>
<p>I didn’t insist, but after hearing “Did I mention they give free tuition?” a few dozen times, he got the message…</p>
<p>I loved the Core when I was at Chicago (for whatever that’s worth).</p>
<p>CountingDown, I may take you up on that offer. My husband’s siblings went to U of C, but I don’t think they have any contacts there anymore. </p>
<p>He’ll have to decide for himself, my impression is that it’s pretty reasonable as cores go. He doesn’t mind being forced to read at least some of the books he’s always thought he should read! (But he was laughing because today’s mail brought a brochure from St. John’s whose curriculum he considers pure torture.)</p>
<p>I got a mailing from St. John’s today too. And I agree with your S about the curriculum.</p>
<p>Well, Jt. Johns (I assume Maryland, not Queens) has nothing but core. I would think it would be a little intense for my D. She got a mailing a few weeks ago and said “absolutely not”.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the D of one of DH’s colleagues attends St. Johns and absolutely loves it! One of S2’s middle school English teachers attended and sang its praises as well.</p>
<p>mathmom – S1 is really liking the Core. BTW, S2 went to CMU a couple of weeks ago and liked it a lot!</p>
<p>Hooray, my S passed his driver’s test today. And now I can dig another hole in my pocket, making the obligatory call to the insurance agent.</p>
<p>There’s some modest discount for being a good student (as in 3.0 or higher) so I sent along a copy of his transcript. He told me he met today with the GC and found he’s class rank #3 out of about 550, down from #1 after sophomore year. We’re all fine since being val/sal or merely an AP grade hog was never the goal, just doing his level best.</p>
<p>Too bad the A in linear algebra is not weighted but considering his rigorous class load, we’re all in a happy place. Unless something strange happens, this is about where he’ll be a jr year end, a nice place for making those college applications.</p>
<p>Findaplace, Hooray for your son! My sympathies on the insurance. </p>
<p>Lafalum84, My S is looking at Northeastern! Wouldn’t that be great if some of our kids wind up at the same schools? They can form a support group!</p>
<p>I have a nephew at St. John’s (and yes the MD or in his case the NM one) and he loves it, but I want choice! I chose to take courses that covered a lot of those books - either in high school or in college, but I wanted to do other things too. It turned out that while I’m happy to read Greek literature - I really, really hate politickal theory and philosophy.</p>
<p>Yeah, FAP’s son. Good going.</p>
<p>PMK, don’t you mean y’all will form a support group? The kids will be having too much fun to care.</p>
<p>I logged on to say, Love the kid on the couch, Love the kid on the couch.</p>
<p>FAP, congrats to your son! A drivng test and no. 3! Amazing.</p>
<p>Congrats to your S, FAP, and sorry about your soon-to-increase insurance bill.</p>
<p>No dream school for D - whichever one is her dream, I guess - though she doesn’t have one at the moment.</p>
<p>youdon’tsay, True! I was thinking more along the lines of when my son sighs at a question and we tease him a bit by saying, “It’s tough having parents who care about you and want you to have a good life, isn’t it?” </p>
<p>I feel like I need to clear up my answer, I want my son to go to school where he wants to go (provided we can afford it.) But sometimes my dreams for my S are not his dreams and I’m fine with that. I really want a grandchild. I want one so badly that I cannot put it into words but I would never put that pressure on my S. </p>
<p>So, yes, one of my daydream is that he goes to Vassar, meets the man of his dreams, they both have careers they love and then have children (my grandchildren.) But that doesn’t mean that I really want him to live that dream in place of his own dream.</p>
<p>I thought it was just a fun kind of activity. I didn’t realize it would be taken literally.</p>