Between getting things ready for graduation at the school I am employed with and getting the Talented One ready, I've been reminded of what it takes to graduate these days.

I'll have to say, "Things were a lot simpler in my day."

When I was a senior, I remember taking my ACT tests. I honestly don't remember getting announcements for graduation or any of that other stuff; I just had a gown on graduation day. It was in our gymnasium. My family showed up, I graduated. They took me and my friends out to dinner. That was it. Oh, and there was a photo opportunity with my parents; it must have been a senior dinner at the school, which I honestly can't remember, but I still have the photo with my parents to prove that something happened!

When the Good Looking One graduated a few years ago (well more than a few…he's getting to ready to graduate college this year!)…anyway, when he was in high school, he had an AMAZING counselor. We didn't have to worry about anything. I remember him coming home with a a packet to order graduation stuff. We filled it out, turned it in and that was about it. She was always sending home stuff for him to apply for scholarships, etc. The hardest was the SAT's. He studied so hard for them. What a lot of pressure. For his Senior Pictures, we took him to Kiddie Kandids in his cap and gown. We got pics of him with his High Honors certifcate and called it a day. Graduation was at the New Orleans. After, we had a party at our home and then he went out with his friends. Graduated and ready to begin his new life.

And now, I have another one graduating. Counselor, not so great. It feels like I know more than him. These days, if you want an answer, you have to find it, tell the counselor about it, have him look for it, and then get back with you. Oy.  And the pressure feels harder for these graduates. There's the SAT's, the ACT's, the applications for college, scholarship applications, FAFSA applications, caps, gowns, announcements, senior pictures, senior apparel (of which he wants none), and more. Graduation again at the New Orleans, only this time, it is towards the end of June!

This morning is his SAT test. His alarm didn't go off and dad went back to sleep. They made it in time, but it was a bit of a rush this morning. What a way to start the day! I guess I understand the reasoning for the tests, but sometimes it feels like we test too much. It's like the score of the test determines who you are and what you can do. My oldest son graduated with High Honors in three years. I think that determines what he's capable of more than his score on the SAT test, which wasn't bad, but wasn't outstanding either. The dedication, work ethic, character and integrity is what it should be about. Sometimes I think we are so focused on testing in schools that we forget that the students need time to be educated so that they can pass the tests!

I've got three more coming up. Bboo will be a junior next year. She's trying hard to take the right classes now so that she can get into the right classes as a Senior so that she can get into the right classes in college so that she can be a nurse. It never ends.

It's so bad, that the Smart One, still in middle school, is so concerned about what classes he's taking, how he's going to graduate and where is he going to go to college. He was much relieved this week when he met with his new school counselor and she helped him plan out his next few years in high school. (This counselor is AWESOME!)

The youngest is still *free to be me.* She doesn't have a care in the world right now. She knows she wants to be a pop star who helps women have babies. She doesn't really care right now how she gets there; she has time for that later.

And I'm ok with that. There has to be a point when we let our kids be kids instead of putting on the pressures that society has for them.