As the time for seniors’ graduation draws near, students everywhere are beginning to feel the pressures and stresses of going out into the real world, be it through a job or higher education. Along with students, there are also many parents out there who are just as troubled as their children, Veronica Gibson being one of them. She and her husband, Thomas, have five kids together whom they’ve raised and helped guide into adulthood. She summed up raising her children in one word: “Chaos.”

For many years, Veronica and Thomas struggled financially, especially with five children in one house. “We had to find things to do that didn’t cost money. We didn’t get to eat out a lot or go out to movies much.” Family vacations were usually camping instead of staying in hotels or going to amusement parks. But even when the other kids began to leave one by one, money was still a problem. “Whether there’s five kids or one kid, you still tend to spend all of your money on your kids…Even my kids that are adults are still being raised.” However, she doesn’t see this as an issue, stating, “That’s what parents do. It’s part of being a parent.” Currently, four out of the five children have graduated high school and moved out, leaving one senior in high school.

The idea of her last child leaving home made her sad, but she said, “I’m looking forward to having time with my husband. Not having to worry about…well, I still would always worry, but I‘d have more time.” To her, there’s no difference between watching her first child grow up and now. “It’s pretty much the same because you have the same concerns and worries,” she said. “I feel like the [youngest] kid learns from the accomplishments and the mistakes of the older kids.” Despite the hardships and the uncertainty she’s faced, Veronica is prepared for the next step in her life and her child’s next steps as well.