There are a lot of conversations this time of year about getting kids ready for college. If you have a college-bound freshman, you are probably chatting with other parents about ordering textbooks, getting your child’s dorm room set up and making sure their classes are scheduled.
There are a lot of conversations this time of year about getting kids ready for college. If you have a college-bound freshman, you are probably chatting with other parents about ordering textbooks, getting your child’s dorm room set up and making sure their classes are scheduled.
But how are you preparing for yourself for your child’s departure to college? You might be so preoccupied with readying him that you’ve forgotten this is a big transition for you too.
As you spend the next few weeks preparing your son or daughter to go to college, don’t neglect to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. Here are a few points to keep in mind as you are preparing to say goodbye to your college-bound child:
Be proactive, but don’t be fearful.
You’ve heard me say this many times and I will say it again: Do not parent out of fear. Be proactive. This is especially important during a big transition like the one you are facing.
Ensure your child has what she needs for her dorm room and her classes. Beyond that, you don’t have much control, but don’t let this loss of control scare you into fear-based parenting. If you do, you will end up trying to manipulate your child’s schedule, or interfere too much in her academic decisions, which are now just that—her decisions.
I am not saying you can no longer play a role in your child’s life now that she is in college. Just make sure that in the weeks leading up to her departure you are making decisions from a place of being proactive, not afraid.