At the age when most parents figure the kids will be moving out I am finding other kids moving in instead. I fought against this incoming tide for the last couple of years. Extra kids couchsurfing. I'd send one home and when he rebounded I'd get two back the next time. I have one 20 year old son and a 16 year old daughter.
Sunday night there were 8 of us at my house. Myself, son, daughter, son's 20 year old best friend, son's best friend's 17 year old brother, son's 20 year old other friend, son's best friend's 17 year old brother's best friend, and another friend of them all.
A few months ago the four official resident boys were trying to rent a house across the street from the community college. They didn't get the applications forms back in before the landlady had already selected tenants. It would have been perfect. Across the street from the college my son is going. The kind of closeness I had in residence where you could sleep to the last minute and roll out of bed and be at class. A couple of easy walking blocks to the shopping center with the availability of part-time jobs. A bedroom for each of them in a newly renovated single dwelling house with beautiful landscaping.
It would have cost them each $500 every month. There was a workshop which could be used as an art studio. Since it was a house there wouldn't be neighbours complaining about any noise the way apartment neighbours do. One reason why the one friend wanted to move out of his $1000 apartment. That and the cost. The two brothers were told to move out by their father. He's selling his condo and getting a one bedroom apartment. He had tried to move them into my house earlier. I kept sending my son's best friend home. The father wouldn't let them play World of Warcraft if they weren't working or going to school. So he wouldn't allow the computer in his house. I made them put the huge computer in the car so I could drive them and it home. On the way it occurred to me that they didn't walk to my house with it nor carry it onto a bus. So I asked how it got to my house. They confessed their father had driven it there.
Half a year ago their father was planning to move to Montreal. My son was concerned that they were going to be homeless. He asked if they could move in with us and I said okay. The move didn't happen and I avoided the situation. For a few days anyway.
Finally I decided to stop fighting the flow. Not worth it. Might as well just let life unfold as it will. The major stressors are noisy people up until 2 or 3 am although the nights that's happening are becoming fewer. Last night there was a lot of late night commotion. One kid was getting an ear pierced. Hair dying is common place. The messy ones are learning to clean up after themselves because the neat nick was getting tired of cleaning. The one that starts cooking school in January baked a cheesecake and shared with everyone. Happiness seems to be the new norm. Gradually everyone is getting used to living with each other. And lives are getting straightened out and figured out. Rights of passage of young people. It's worth the noise at Penguin's Home for Wayward Boys.
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