Dear Shee...

whoever said being a parent was easy? i can only recall the kinda mental trauma i put my mum thru while i was growing up and at that exasperated age of 16! i am not sure if sharing this will work as we're all our own individuals - but my mum has always been strict and fair with us. when i was at the age of 16, she can yell at me, ground me, refuse to give my any allowance when i was being nasty, yet i thought i was above it all. her words fell on deaf ears and i really did what i wanted to do, which at that time thought i was right.

mum held her ground. after a while, i came to. afterall, who am i to challenge mum? i stopped doing what i thought was ok (eg in Josh's case, not handing in his assignments on time etc). today, i am glad she held to her beliefs. that it was unheard of that i lived life as tho' without needing any parental guidance nor restrictions.

maybe what u can do is to understand his concerns, and at the same time, make him understand your concerns. that it is important you raise him up well because he means the world to you and that him achieving good grades at this stage of life is important to give himself a better future. make him understand why u placed so much emphasis on certain things which u, in your worldly motherhood experience, feel so passionate about which he may not see now but eventually will.
talk to him like an adult - nothing gives a younger one more reason and exposure than being treated like one (sometimes).

if all else fails, use your tears and disappointment to get to him. most children can't bear to see their parents going thru those kinda grief. but use this only as a last resort :p

*big hug*

*I can'f for the life of me remember my password*