Flying the Coop

It's been a month since The Boy ventured over the Penines to Preston, and I can't deny it's taking some getting used to.

It's a strange situation - it's like he's gone to university two years early, but technically he's still a child. It makes it that bit harder to let go.

The good news is he's loving it. He's already made some great friends, he enjoys the social side and he's enjoying his new-found freedom. In typical teenage fashion, the biggest news of his first week was: "Guess what? I can wear my trackies to lectures!"

He comes home at weekends to dump his dirty washing - I've never been so glad to see a bag of mucky socks before! Of course, he wants to catch up with his mates and girlfriend too, but family has always been important to him and so far we've always had some "us" time - be it watching the Grand Prix and a Sunday roast or pizza and a DVD on Saturday night.

The Princess is always thrilled to see him. She's found it very difficult - she adores her big brother and misses him terribly. She's devoted herself to looking after Bunny, the cuddly rabbit he's had since he was born..... If it hadn't been so uncool, I'm sure he'd have gone to college, too, but the second best thing is to be looked after by Little Sis.

For us? Well, personally I'm working hard to let go as much as I can. There's a subtle but very different shift that means The Boy is inexorably becoming The Man.

And I can't deny we miss our in-house babysitter..... Our social lives have taken a hell of knock since he left!