Boy to Young Man

 No one taught me how to be his Mum

But from the womb, to holding his little body in my arms I fell completely in love.

I have always taken my role as a mother so seriously.

I have always tried to be a good role model raising my kids with the guidance of God.

With integrity, good morals, values, discipline and love I raised my kids with routine from day one.

My son Jiedyn, turns 19 in just 11 days! 

The transition from boy to young man has been like a bag of mixed feelings for me.

With Jie now being way smarter than me academically, I find the only advice I can offer at most is what I’ve learned along my life’s journey.

And as of Late, Jie is more curious of the life I’ve had and how I’ve chosen to live it.

This past year, Jie has taken adulthood and his life into his own hands.

He micromanages what he puts into his body, mind and prioritises what he does with his time.

Jie wakes up at 7am, leaves for school at 8pm. Commutes via bus, train and tram to school. 

Jie goes to the gym in the city after school and before work.

Three-four days a week Jie works in the city.

On nights Jie works, he takes the long train ride home and gets in the door at 1am. 

He then cooks a steak for himself for dinner, before going to bed at around 2-2.30am only to do it all again the next day..

And he does too..

In saying all of this, Jie has approached me a few times this year to want to move into the city.

Closer to school, gym and work it makes sense.

But we are also dealing with a housing shortage with over 6000 young people alone facing homelessness in our state alone. 

Jie doesn’t work enough hours to be able to afford him own rental and I prefer he not do boarding houses, hostels or share houses at his age.

The only other option would be student accommodation.

Jie, wrecked on Friday night after doing what he does each and every day, came to me for an easier solution.

It was then I realised, I’m raising a young man.

With discussions around nutrition (him educating me about glucose and insulin), housing (different types of housing and what’s safe/not safe as well as affordable), breaking contracts (Jie joined three gyms and has had to pay his way out of contracts), paying rent ($40 a fortnight + his own food if not eating with us) and everything in between. (Education, medications, cost of living, politics etc.) 

As time goes on, our conversations have changed and Jies observations are now voiced and his opinions differ from mine most of the time.

Jie has always loved and idolised my Dad and Brother and that hasn’t changed in his sarcasm, fashion or spending/saving. 

So as I come to terms that my sonzie is growing right before my eyes, is fully independent and ready to leave home it’s the little glimpses of my “boy” that I now enjoy.

Like him wanting me to cook for him, watch something we watched when he was younger, listen to a song we both liked or sending memes of things of the past. 

I’m proud of where my son is and who my son is as a person.

We have grown each other in only ways we can understand over the years.

This weekend he watched Pitch Perfect with me on the couch and I had the realisation that there is more him than couch now!

And when he agreed to let me use his 98inch TV and Xbox to play Goat Simulator 3 (don’t judge me until you’ve played it) it wasn’t long before the “boy” in him came back out to do the missions I couldn’t do and just to show off his skill!

I loved that!