BE AWARE OF THE “CHRISTMAS
REALITY CHECK”
A few years ago, I spoke to one-half of the senior class at a high
school in November. One of the questions that I asked to the
students was, “Do you feel like your parents are letting out the
rope of freedom a little or drawing you in tighter?” The overwhelming answer was that the parents were in fact giving them
some slack in the rope. Two months later, in January, I spoke to
the other half of the student body from the same school. When I
asked the same question, I got the opposite answer. These seniors
complained that they started out with more slack but were now
feeling the tug from their parents. The conclusion I discovered
was that something happens over Christmas break with many
parents of seniors. I call it the Christmas Reality Check. The tree
is decorated and the presents are filling in below. The Christmas
cards have been mailed out and the family traditions are in full
swing. Then it happens. Mom and Dad realize that next year will
be different. Next Christmas, at least one child will have to come
home to celebrate the holidays. Things will never be as they have
always been. From that moment on, the rope tension begins
to tighten. Kids feel this right away, and it can cause them to
wish that the remaining days at home could p