Dear Son:
You might feel like this year is no big deal. It’s not your first year of high school, and it’s not your last. You won’t be getting lost in the halls like the freshmen or taking standardized tests for your college applications. Nor will you be waiting to hear about college acceptances.
Sophomore year of high school
But your sophomore year is still special. Here’s why:
This is the year that you will learn how to drive and obtain a license. There’s a whole new world of freedom waiting for you (and me!) My prayer is that you are safe, whether it is you or your friends who are driving. Don’t do anything stupid. I’m serious. But enjoy this new privilege.
Your sophomore year is when there will be things like dances and pep rallies to attend, clubs to join, service projects to complete, and Homecoming floats to build. Whether you choose to participate in some or all of these, I hope you soak up the high school experiences each offers.
In tenth grade, you will play high school sports. I’m so proud that you joined a new sports team this fall. Sophomore year is the perfect time to jump in and try something new. I hope you savor learning how to play as much as I enjoy watching you. I also can’t wait to watch you play the other sports you have loved since you were a little kid. What a thrill to see you pursue them for so long and to know that they are your passions. May you stay injury-free and continue to grow in teamwork, physical skills, and leadership that result from playing sports.
Tenth grade
Tenth grade is when you will tackle more in your core subjects and try out new classes. Your electives are so different from what I chose years ago: Intro to Engineering and that CAD class. Never mind that I had to Google “What does CAD stand for?” to learn it was Computer-Aided Drawing. I might not know a lot, but I do know that these electives reflect your growing interests and that pleases me. It is exciting to think that they will prepare you for an internship or a job one day.
This is the year that you will keep rolling your eyes at me. So, I didn’t know what CAD meant. I also did not know what “NGL” meant when you used it in a text. (That’s “Not Gonna Lie,” parents!) But I do hope that your sophomore year you not only tolerate me, but you still tell me you love me, give me awesome bear hugs, and chat about those levels in your video game.
The sophomore student sweet spot
Perhaps, this could be the year that you grow into a man. Some of your friends seemed to reach this milestone years ago, but everyone is on his own schedule. If those pictures of your dad when he was a sophomore are any indication, then you might grow out of those pants I just bought you within a month. And you’ll need a razor soon.
This is the year that you may ask someone out. Maybe she’ll say yes, and you’ll go on a date. Maybe not. If it happens, it happens. This is not the year to worry about being single.
Sophomore year is the time to enjoy it with your friends, to eat an entire pizza by yourself and not gain an ounce, and to sleep until noon on weekends.
This is the year. Your sophomore year.
May it be as amazing as you are.
Love,
Mom
This post originally appeared on Your Teen.
Pressing the hold button for you and your son, Katy. Grade 10 is like second and third year university, to me. You put it perfectly by calling it the sweet spot. The pressure is off, it’s a time to just tread water and enjoy.
He seems to be treading and enjoying just fine! Maybe a little too fine, in my opinion.
Katy recently posted…Enjoy The Sweet Spot of Sophomore Year
Love this! My son is just finishing up his Freshman year and I can see a bit of this applying to him as well.
Thank you! I’d say the second half of Freshman year can be pretty sweet, too. No more getting lost or being nervous like when you just begin, and he’s probably getting ready to register for new, exciting (and maybe hard–yikes!) classes as a sophomore.
Katy recently posted…Enjoy The Sweet Spot of Sophomore Year
Super sweet! I have a Freshman and a Junior and you sure see a lot of changes in between each year. Good luck to your boy!
My oldest is a junior!! It’s all going by too fast, I’d love to be back one more year., or two, or three, or more. I remember taking her to her first day of kindergarten; it honestly doesn’t feel that long ago. ?
XO