Big Miss is now in High School, so anything I say about her will have to be run past her for sure. She does, of course, have a life. As any teenagers will tell you, parents are embarrassing ( apparently I am particularly embarrassing) there are so many things they say or do that are suddenly horrifying for a teenager.

 Even just driving past a group of their peers can be enough to have them diving to the floor. I am not even joking. That actually happened once. I was driving Aliesha and her friend past the local high school one morning in our old van. The special school bus it had been dubbed affectionately by all. I looked in the rear view to see two teenage girls quite literally on the floor. Despite my demands the get in their seats immediately they stayed there until we were well past the school. I expect the same sort of thing from Big Miss now she is a 'teenager' (today, actually).

I remember when I first started high school. I was so excited! I got up at five that morning, I couldn't sleep with excitement and I was showered, dressed and ready by 6. That was probably the first and quite possibly the last time I was up so early and ready for anything! Big Miss has naturally been in and out of her uniform a few times over the holidays. She is happy with them. Shoes however, have been a source of great distress all holidays.They have to be Black.

The school has been quite adamant that only black shoes will do. I have even received text reminders about the imperitiveness of this shoe colour. That is not the issue, the issue is I refused to buy Converse hi top shoes. So I bought those hideous black leather school shoes. THAT was the issue.

"Mum, I am NOT wearing them."

" I am not spending 90 dollars on shoes love."

"Mum everyone has them."

"I am sure not everyone has them."

"Yes mum, EVERYONE has them."

"Then it looks like you'll be the only one who doesn't." I'd say and continue with what ever it was I was doing. Big Miss would walk off, protesting all the way out of ear shot.

 Naturally I am not completely heartless and I did have plans on buying her the shoes for her birthday. Luckily for me I went to the local school to pay fees and grab a couple of school issue shorts and I saw black hi top shoes for sale and a third of the price. I bought them instead. I continued to let Big Miss believe that her world would end when she went to school in those shoes I had bought earlier. Because I am am just a LITTLE bit heartless it would seem.

Today she received her birthday presents and the shoes were even better than the beautiful silver jewellery box she had been given.  The shoes, though they were not Converse, were at least from a distance a dead ringer. That was acceptable. The socks I had brought earlier in the holidays were not. They were white. They HAVE to be black now, apparently.

Oh well, you win some and you lose some I guess!


Anyone else with a kid in the first year of high school , be it yr 7 or 8? How have you found the preparations? I especially want to hear about the complaints! I dont want to be alone!! ;)