Are you (like me) dreading the impending departure of your child to university? Do     you keep thinking that they won’t be able to look after themselves/eat healthily/drink in moderation/manage their finances? Do you worry about how they are going to find a part-time job AND study at the same time? Do you fear for their personal safety without you being there to steer them in the right direction?

I have all these fears (and more) running through my head as my eldest starts his degree in jazz piano at Birmingham Conservatoire in just 3 weeks time and have come to the conclusion that this is just fairly normal thinking for a mum.

What I have resolved to do, however, is really soak up the essence of him in these last few weeks. Like any 18 year old he is self-obsessed, fairly lazy, inconsiderate and abominably untidy, so I have pointed out to myself that these are things that I will not miss. His redeeming features, however, which include his wit, dry sense of humour, alarming musical talent and his creativity I am noticing and storing in a little memory bank for those days when the house seems unnaturally quiet. Most evenings, my husband and I sit in our kitchen and it feels like we are in the basement of a jazz club, which I have to realise now has really been quite wonderful, but we have not appreciated it fully.

And I know that deep down I don’t have to worry really – he is ready for this, and is so excited about going away and being able to focus on his passion for jazz piano, the course that he is doing is the one that he wanted, and everything is as it should be.
All I have to do is let him go.

I will miss him though …..