This time last year, I was one of those parents in shock after their offspring's departure for university - wondering how my world would change, reflecting on how much I'd miss my Teen.This autumn I'm feeling relieved as I'm not one of these bereft parents - my Teen has decided to take a year out, get a job locally and earn some serious cash, before returning to uni next autumn.
So we have a new set-up here. It's like going back to the rhythm of college days. Alarm clocks at the ready. Get up early to organise breakfast and a packed lunch. Teen out of the house from 8.30 to 6. In fact, it's so much like being back to her college days, that I woke up last weekend wondering if she had homework to do!
What I have found though, is that somehow I don't actually seem to have any more hours in the day - they've just moved earlier. No more sitting up till 2 o'clock watching box-sets or chatting on twitter; now I'm falling asleep on the sofa before midnight!
It's great having her back, hearing guitar sounds coming from her room, watching Netflix together, going out at weekends as a family, but, if I'm being honest, I'm dreading this time NEXT year, when she'll be going away again. Time to worry about that later though ...
