Unhappy son grabs bag and leaves home briefly

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I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends with older children who perhaps this year for the first time are trying to cope with an empty nest.

Sometimes I dream of that day with glee, but mostly I know that when the time comes it will be so sad.

I remember how upset my own mother was when I left home. She had gone through it with my older sister and she still had two sons left at home, but I guess it was a realisation that her daughters had left and now she just had two sons who still weren’t making their own school lunch.

At least that’s what I told myself, being an elite sibling of course.

We had a little taste of it ourselves in the weekend when our oldest child left home.

After much protesting about the mandates in our house that clearly weren’t working for a 9-year old, like picking up your toys or washing your hands after the loo regardless of what you were doing in there, he took a stand and moved out.

I was busy muttering under my breath about why I am the only one who knows how to turn the washing machine on, so I didn’t notice his absence at first.

But after a few minutes of silence I thought I better go and check what the boys were up to. Raef was at the table perfecting his drawing of a brachiosaurus, while the other little T-rex had packed his bags and left.

He’d taken a pillow, a blanket, his toy bunny and a big moving box. The big box was his new house and he’d set up home opposite our driveway on the banks of the Taipo Stream.

His particular chosen spot is a haven for recreational dog walkers and bikers who all asked if he was okay, which was nice.

After a while he got hungry so he took himself off to Four Square in Taradale and got his supplies, Pringles and lemon soda water.

Eventually, after about 35 minutes of leaving home, he left all of his worldly possessions at the stream and walked back in the door.

He realised there was something really important he wanted to watch on YouTube. I was so happy to have him back that I didn’t tell him YouTube has now also been mandated by Mum and Dad.

I’ll save that for next weekend’s drama.