Said son who talks about our not being there for him "insisted" that we drive him to school every day because he didn't want to ride the bus for very long. And we gave in. I kept remembering that my parents lived about fifteen minutes from the school and my sis and I had to ride the bus for more than an hour when we grew up!

Having not had parents who were able to let go, I never did learn what being a "normal" parent is. And line between pampering and fostering independence.

I remember my mother saying she and her siblings had to walk a mile to get to the bus stop!

I have a feeling that my friend's son plans on coming right back home when he finishes college, and she will be perfectly fine about that. Sad to say, she tells me that he just goes to his classes at a big state school and then comes right back to his dorm. He's at home this summer and spends all the time in his room, evidently on the computer. I keep comparing my son (and his older sibling) to him, and I feel like at least they are able to be independent and I think will be able to go out and make a life for themselves. I tell them we are here for them if they need us, but I definitely don't want to be like my own parents.

I guess the question is: What is the happy medium? Oh, well, as we agree, we are all going to make mistakes as parents!