I have an extremely intelligent 20 year old son. He dropped out of highschool and earned his GED later that year. He’s finally realized that delivering pizza isn’t what he wants to do with his life and wants to go to school. Here’s the problem. First, he thinks he’s already too far behind his friends to start college. Secondly, he has no interest in taking classes that don’t interest him. So, I suggested that he go to technical school (the same school I went to). He says he doesnt’ want to go there, because it’s the retard school. That people who can’t handle college go there.
I pointed out that I am not a retard and that the school served me just fine. I told him that he could go there (he wants to get into IT, and the local technical school has a good program and a job placement service). I told him that he should do that, get a job, and if he still wanted to go to college, he could go then. It’s possible he could get hired by a place who would reimburse his tuition costs.
Anyway, for a smart kid, he’s terribly stupid. And driving me crazy. He wants to go to school, but he doesn’t want to take the classes he needs to take. He wants to work in IT, but disregards the school that could help him get into IT.
The advice I give him is dismissed out of hand ‘because I’m old and don’t know what I’m talking about’. I have no idea how to get through to him and convince him that I am not the dumbass he thinks I am.
I can’t force him to do anything (if I could, I would) and I’ve run out of arguments and have entered the nagging zone, which REALLY doesn’t work with him. I’m going to back off completely, for now. I need to regroup and come up with a new plan.
Any suggestions?
