<p>I’m reading the posts from the parents who are getting excited about the orientations weekends with their freshmen this summer. Son 3, will be going to a school one of his brothers already attends (we don’t know which yet). We’ve been to both these orientations. </p>
<p>We’re going to go again to whichever one he decides on. But excited? Far from it. Anyone else just as happy for kids 3 or later but just not jumping around like a cheerleader anymore?</p>
<p>I can imagine it would be hard to conjure up much enthusiasm for the third round! (Must confess it is why we stopped at two.)</p>
<p>We had two, before we figured out what causing them. ;-)</p>
<p>mom2three, don’t feel bad. We only have two S’s and did not attend either one’s Orientation. One is at DH’s college and the other is at mine! DH said he already knew all he needed to know about his alma mater,lol. The boys didn’t care. They were happy to make the trip with friends fr. high sch. (both at instate publics where lots of kids fr. here go).</p>
<p>Think of it as being a seasoned pro knowing in advance what is important and what you can skip. Also knowing where the good restaurants are when it’s all over!</p>
<p>Third kid here also - maybe not excited BUT she is going in with so much previously garnered knowledge (experience) that it tips us out of the bad parent category :)</p>
<p>I found it repetitiive last summer and that was my first one! I know my sister-in-law had her 2nd d choose the same school as the first, and she went to orientation, but just skipped the stuff that didn’t interest her. I like to think though the younger kids might not have our unbridled enthusiasm for each experience, they also get the benefit of more relaxed, less neurotic parents. At least that’s true for us. </p>
<p>I experience this on the other end, that I sometimes have a hard time being friends with the parents of other 9 year olds if the 9 year old is their oldest. They just take it all so seriously and fret so much and I fight the urge to be condescending or to say,“Hey, it will never get easier than third grade so just quit worrying about the stupid playground.”</p>
<p>You’re at a different place than those first time freshman parents. Be glad and enjoy it!</p>
<p>Some things are not exciting the third or more time around – toilet training, teaching them to drive, etc. Hearing the same orientations – whether it’s elementary, high school, or college – is one of them. By the time I had my fourth, I always felt like I could just give those speeches myself. But…lots of things are really wonderful the third or fourth time around.</p>
<p>[waves hand wildly] Can I play? I’m working on being really excited about the things D3 is experiencing that are new to her but that give me that deja vu feeling all over again.</p>
<p>it’s new for me and my husband!! we are excited! plus, we are from Europe… double the excitement, we don’t know what really everything is about! it’s a real adventure since the beginning of the college process!!</p>
<p>My 3rd is very aware of what I did and didn’t do for the older siblings. H and I attended HS freshmen orientation this week with her and she appreciated it… I wanted to scream.</p>
<p>3rd kid is well aware the number of photos of her decreased exponentially, but like posters above, I feel #1 suffered more from my lack of knowledge, #2/#3 had great university results due to my education on CC and my experience with finaid offers on D1</p>
<p>My third has already made her college decision without any guidance from us. She wants to attend school in New Orleans “so I can spend my nights on Bourbon Street!” Fortunately we have a couple of years to try parenting her into a more constructive perspective. Yeah, we’re a little “college experienced” out.</p>
<p>Yes, my third gained from what we learned (about college and everything else) from her sibs.<br>
Yes, she suffered a bit from us not being excited about every milestone. Her baby book is still just an empty slate stuffed with pictures and bits on notepaper… I had two in grade school by that time and thought there would be time later to record that first tooth…now I realize that it really doesn’t matter.
OTOH, she gained not only from our knowledge but from our more relaxed attitude. I know our oldest would gladly trade places. </p>
<p>As far as comparing orientations - do your kids reallly want you there? Even with my first I noticed the kids wanted the parents to … well, just drift off to the parent activities and leave them to check out the other students.</p>
<p>Don’t tell him but I am already anticipating a much more low key experience from search through drop off with kid #3. It’s still four years away and I know I will miss him like crazy but on the other hand my excitement at orrientation will come from knowing that DH and I can reclaim some of the honeymoon period ;)</p>
<p>Agree w/ dragonmom that the experience of doing it this year x2 will allow us to be much more relaxed when it is S’s turn</p>
<p>“I’m working on being really excited about the things D3 is experiencing that are new to her but that give me that deja vu feeling all over again”</p>
<p>My pediatrician once said something to me that I think of all the time with my last kid. When he was an infant he had more trouble nursing than his older siblings did. I said to my pediatrician, “I just don’t get it. I’m so experienced and I know what I’m doing, this shouldn’t be happening” He said, “Yes, you’re experienced; it’s your fourth time. But it’s HIS first time.” I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve remembered that when my son was doing something that was old hat for me but new for him. It really changed my perspective.</p>
<p>"I experience this on the other end, that I sometimes have a hard time being friends with the parents of other 9 year olds if the 9 year old is their oldest. They just take it all so seriously and fret so much and I fight the urge to be condescending or to say,“Hey, it will never get easier than third grade so just quit worrying about the stupid playground.”</p>
<p>You’re at a different place than those first time freshman parents. Be glad and enjoy it! "</p>
<p>Oh man, I can relate to this! This year the wrestling team had a bunch of freshmen wrestlers who are the oldest in their families. Their parents are MILES from where I am as a parent of a 4th year wrestler, 3rd kid who is about to graduate high school. </p>
<p>I am glad, and I do enjoy it.</p>
<p>Our D1 and D2 are 5 grades apart. I sometimes just don’t pay as much attention to D2 as I did with D1. It is both good and bad. Bad is D2 doesn’t feel as special. Good is she is allowed to do more because I am more relaxed - being there done that. </p>
<p>What’s interesting is D2 grade has a lot of older siblings same age as D1. Most parents already know each other, and we are not as stressed. It’s not the case for their teachers because these kids are more mature and know how to get in trouble more (they also know each other better because of their older siblings).</p>
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<p>Boy, can I relate to that - only make it a soon-to-be-7-year-old. </p>
<p>But I think by the time his orientation comes around, H and I won’t find it boring. We’ll be thrilled, as we totter around the campus with our walkers. . . . :D</p>
<p>Besides, we all ruined our first kids, not our last. It’s not healthy/normal to be ooo-ing and aaah-ing over every little facet of their lives. Aren’t your youngests much more relaxed/self-sufficient and much less dramatic? Of course we’ll roll our eyes (inwardly only, I hope) when it’s #3’s turn, but I can’t summon much guilt over that. He is one awesome dude.</p>
<p>S1 is p*ssed at me because we wouldn’t let him have a TV in his bedroom but did for S2. We were beaten down by then.</p>
<p>I hope that’s the worst thing that ever happens to S1.</p>