Shannon, you are not the only mother who feels that way and there’s nothing wrong with it. My oldest son, who turns 14 in May, came to his dad and me and told us he didn’t want to go to college. I wasn’t surprised because my son isn’t super stoked about the idea of school.

He’s highly intelligent and has a very unique way of learning and processing information that sometimes puts him at odds with his teachers. So our thoughts were going to college isn’t the be all, end all. But I told him that he needed to have a plan in place to ensure he is able to take care of himself and a family when that time comes.

We also let him know that just because he chooses not to go the traditional learning route, he can still learn the skills he needs by teaching himself. Learning is a lifelong process. But you shouldn’t have debt following you forever or be struggling to make a decent living despite having a degree.

For some that is all a college education has to offer. Plenty of people are very successful without having gone to university. I think it is a very outdated way of thinking.

My mother had the exact opposite reaction when he told her. She went into the whole spill of you won’t be able to get a good job, you’ll ruin your life, and ultimately demanding he go. I had to calm her down and explain my thoughts on it.

He has time to change his mind but if he doesn’t, I won’t be angry or devastated. I’ll just continue to guide him and support him in doing what’s best for him.