Deputy Principal

Learning to Let Go

It is an interesting time when your eldest child turns 18. That happened to me last week and while I do feel that little bit older, I also cherish the fact that I have a son who is a young man who is destined to find his own way. Over the years my wife and I have tried to guide him in certain directions. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. 

I believe to raise resilient young men, we all must let go a little bit. Stepping in and helping our children every time they have a fall or have a conflict does not teach them life skills. Is he perfect? Far from it, in fact I don’t think anyone of us are perfect, we all make mistakes. However, we need to let go when it is age appropriate and as they grow older, we let go of the reins a little more. At 18 though, it is time to hand over the reins to my son; while I will be there to guide him, he needs to be in the driving seat (even if he has crashed the car on his P plates already). After all he can legally do everything now.

It is his life, and he will go on to achieve great things. They might not be the things that I think he should do, but nonetheless, if he is happy and healthy, they will be his choices, and he will continue to learn. 

I believe we have succeeded in our parenting as he is a fine young man, who has good morals, and he is innately compassionate and looks after others. To me that is enough. While he may struggle a bit with his academics, he will find his way.  What I know that he needs from us and will always need from us, is love - that unconditional love that parents have for their children. 

Adrian Byrne

Deputy Principal