College STRESS!

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Hey myLotters, have been really, really stressed out whatwith my Neuropathy and/or Fibromialgia??? And then... we had such a difficult time with the NJ Federal Student Aid--FAFSA--upon enrollment at the college it was determined that there was an error and so on the day before classes were to begin, they almost didn't for my daughter because of this...finally the college gave her a loan that she must repay once she graduates...it gets worse... I tell my daughter that she should get a good nights sleep so that she'll be refreshed for classes on the 3rd, this advice was warranted since she is a night owl and is up all night and wants to sleep all day ever since she graduated High School... After we got home she immediately went to her room, got on myspace and on her teen line and all hell broke loose...she came downstairs and announced that she decided that she was not going to college right now, that she wanted to wait a year to attend...After everything we'd been through to get her in, WHAT? With this she ran up the stairs and closed herself in her room...On the 3rd, first day of classes, all morning long it was e-mails and phone calls to my office, back and forth, and back and forth...Finally my oldest daughter went to her room and in her most calming, cool, and collected voice said, "Get up and get dressed, your first class is at 2 PM, if you don't do this you will have no computer, no phone, and no life"...IT WORKED!! (Boy just tell her she has no computer and she becomes compliant immediately!!) She was not happy but did as she was told...she called to ask that I pick her up at 7:45 (had two classes, 2 PM - 3:22 PM and 6:30 - 8 PM the time in between gave her a chance to get her books at the bookstore, go to the cafeteria and basically get familiar with the campus) I was on campus waiting when I saw my baby coming out with a crowd of students ...when she saw me she immediately started running toward me with open arms and tears running down her cheeks and hugged me so hard she took my breath away at the same time whispering in my ear, "Mommy, thank you, thank you so much for pushing me, I love it here!!" Oh my God, it was the most amazing feeling and my heart was overflowing with happiness and pride! When we got home she ran to her sisters house (across my yard) and hugged her too and also thanked her. The moral of the story? If you have children/teens that are against everything you say, as teens often are, don't give up, continue to nag, beg,punish, and whatever until they see your point and they believe in themselves and understand that what you are doing is really for their own good and the success of their future. Thanks for listening myLotters. Do you have a headstrong teen in your life? Tell me about it, I'd love to hear from you! ~G~