When you are the parent of a kid who is approaching college age, you might get a lump in your throat when you think about them setting off into their adult life. Although leaving home is a natural step in a young person’s journey to becoming a fully fledged adult, they’re still your baby at the end of the day! We can’t always protect them forever. What we can do, though, is equip them with the knowledge and skills they need in order to thrive in an adult environment.
In this post, you’ll learn key tips for sending your kid off to the big city – from what to pack, to what to say, and everything in between!
Let’s get started!
1. Send them off with a practical amount of “stuff”.
It is easy to over-pack when your child is heading off to college. Remember, they’re going to college, not on an expedition to the Arctic! Your young adult kid needs a practical amount of “stuff”, not an entire car full of childhood nostalgia and “just in case” items. Moms, they don’t need two lemon squeezers. One will do, okay?
Some essentials they absolutely WILL need include:
- All their paperwork: finance documents, class schedule, books, dorm information and campus map.
- Basic kitchen items.
- Bedding, blankets, and warm clothes.
- An easy recipe book for college groceries.
- Cleaning products, laundry powder and shower gel!
Basic but practical is the rule of thumb – don’t overdo it, no matter how tempted you might be! Their dorm rooms will be tiny and their lives busy; cluttering their space will only be detrimental in the long run.
2. Don’t be overbearing, but avoid being detached too.
If you are struggling with the idea of your child leaving home, you’re not alone. All moms go through the process of grieving their kid’s childhood when they leave for college; it is a normal process, however, challenging.
In the old days, a kid going off to college meant very little contact from their parents. We didn’t carry our phones around in our pockets, so the occasional checking-in phone call was all we had until the holiday season! Nowadays, though, everybody has a phone with them all the time.
Just because your kid will be more reachable than a college kid of the 80s, it doesn’t mean you should be spamming their phone with texts and calls constantly. Call every now and then and let them know you’re always there for them – but otherwise, try to leave them to it. They need to get acclimated to their new life without you!
3. If they’re going overseas, make sure to equip them with helpful things to get them started in a new country.
Getting started in a new country is a very different ballgame to the usual domestic college experience. Aside from the financial side of things, such as college loans for international students, the brand new culture is bound to be a little challenging for your kid at first. Help them out by getting them phrase books and guides to allow them to settle in this new place!
Final thoughts…
Sending your kid off to college is bound to be an emotional experience. Give yourself peace of mind by giving them what they need to succeed in this new environment!
