Your kid is finally moving away for college and both of you couldn’t be more excited about it! If you’re a parent who’s had to send off their kid to college or a teenager who’s been away from home for college, then you know that there’s nothing else like it.
As a parent, you feel happy knowing the person you’ve watched and helped grow up is finally old enough to live on their own and accomplish the dreams they’ve always had. It’s a moment of pride and extreme joy for you. But it’s always tinged with a scintilla of anxiety and uncertainty over how your kid will survive and what you can do to make their move as easy as possible.
Going back to school in a different city can be difficult for teenagers due to the sudden change in the environment, increase of responsibility, and lack of immediate parental protection, but don’t fret because there are tons of ways through which you can help your kid cope with moving to college!
Here, we will answer a few of the most asked questions to equip you with tools to help yourself and your relocating teen kid better cope with moving away for college.
How Do I Help My Kid Cope with Relocation?
Teen relocation can be fun if you know how to make it fun! As anxiety-inducing as it may seem, your kid is probably beaming with excitement. You want to make the whole experience more positive for them, and luckily for you, there are lots of wholesome things that you can do to help your Kid cope with relocation in a positive and healthy manner.
Communicate and validate
You must talk to your Kid and ask them if they have any anxieties. Your Kid should be able to see that they are not alone in this and that you are with them at every step of the way. You should reassure them that college will be a wonderful experience and they’ll get to create amazing new memories that will stay with them forever. Listen to them attentively and if they express any sadness over going away, offer comfort with your words and hugs.
Let your kid know what to expect
Knowing what to expect helps minimize a lot of anxious thoughts. Parents who themselves have attended college can share important insight as to what to expect from it. Furthermore, visit the campus with your kid and let them familiarize themselves with their new environment. Preferably before college starts.
Visit friends and family
Taking your kid to visit the extended family can also take their mind off of the relocation process and help them fully enjoy their success with their loved ones. Having them spend a decent amount of time with their friends also help relieve stress.
Get them a gift that will remind them of your love
Gift them something that they can keep close to themselves once they are off to college and can use to remind themselves of you and your love. A picture frame or perhaps a Lovebox. A Lovebox is a device that uses an application to send your loved ones a heartwarming expression of affection. It is a great tool to share happiness and bring smiles. Imagine your kid waking up to a lovely and heartwarming message from you. That will surely brighten their day and alleviate any distress.
What Do I Say to My Daughter Who is Leaving for College?
You must let your daughter know that you love her unconditionally and are proud of her. Let her know of your grief and how you will miss them terribly. Tell your daughter that you will always be there for her and she can always count on you.
Talk to her about the excitement of embarking on a new journey and how lucky you are to be a part of it. Keep reminding her that you will text her regularly and will send her a Lovebox to show her that you miss her!
How Do You Deal with Moving Away for College?
Before you can help your kid, you first need to help yourself come to terms with the fact that is swiftly becoming your reality and learn to be at peace with it. If you’re like most people, your two most important concerns would be the health and safety of your kid and keeping their spirits high when they’re away from home.
Even though you’re overwhelmed with excitement and pride for your kid, you also have to accept that once they leave, you’ll feel sad. Letting the negative feelings fester would not only hinder your happiness but would also make the move more emotionally challenging for your kid. Therefore, you must deal with them as soon as possible.
Be kind to yourself
First of all, you need to understand that missing your kid who is moving far away from you is normal, and giving yourself the mental space to feel the sadness and grief is okay. Do not be hard on yourself. Everyone takes time to adjust and everyone does so at their own pace.
Be confident in your parenting
For a parent, a kid will always remain a kid regardless of their age. It’s important to realize that your kid is now almost an adult and has the mental capacity to make sane choices and decisions. Show confidence in your kid and your upbringing. You have brought them up with a good skill sets that they can use to tackle whatever problems come their way.
And the best thing is that they know they have a supportive parent like you always ready to help them!
Pick up a few hobbies
Empty nest syndrome is very common and a lot of people suffer from it. You will have to try and fill the space your kid will leave behind. This can be a perfect opportunity for you to explore your interests.
Being a parent can force you to sacrifice a lot in terms of your desires. You can use this time to pursue your long lost dreams and ambitions. You may spend more time with friends or pick up a hobby or two to keep you busy. As long as you’re doing something that makes you happy. Your kid will feel happy, too, knowing you’re happy. That’s how happiness works. It’s contagious!
Technology is your friend
Reminding yourself that no matter how far your kid may be, you can always communicate with them using your phone or computer can help ease a lot of the anxiety you may have. Voice calling, video calling, messaging, and Loveboxes are all possible in today’s world and you can keep connected to your loved ones at all times.
How Do You Help Homesick College Kids?
If your kid contacts you and lets you know that they are homesick, then try not to panic. Think of it this way – feeling homesick means you did a good job as a parent. That’s why they miss you so much! But their lives have changed drastically which is why it’s natural for them to miss the warmth and comfort of home. The best thing you can do is to stay calm and offer support.
Listen to them
You must let them vent their frustrations out. Sharing reduces half the burden. Let them articulate their worries and try to understand what other problems they are facing. Try to help them tackle those problems.
Encourage them to go out and make friends. Tell them to do things that remind them of home. For example, they can go to a pizza place where they used to go with you. They can even take their new friends with them so they don’t feel alone! Keep them updated with everything that’s been going on back home. It will help them connect with you on a deeper level and they won’t feel as homesick.
Encourage them to take part in social activities
Loneliness is the root cause of homesickness and encouraging your kid to take part in social activities around the campus can be a great way to overcome homesickness. This will help them mingle with their surroundings more often and build social connections and routines which will fill in the gaps created due to relocating and going to college.
We all know that college is where you create some of the best memories of your life!
Send them a Lovebox
Get your kid a Lovebox. It is a great way of showing affection. You can regularly send your kid photos, love notes, drawings, or stickers through Lovebox. Upon receiving the message, the heart on the Lovebox will spin and your kid will be notified of your message instantly.
It will show them that they are in your thoughts, that you love them, and that you are not far away at all. Lovebox encourages you to build a habit of spreading happiness by reminding you regularly and encouraging you with rewards.
What Should I Do with My Daughter Before She Leaves for College?
Time is short and the list of things you want to do with your daughter before she leaves for college is long. It’s very long. This is the perfect time to finally use those unpaid leaves you’d been saving so you can spend as much time with your daughter as you can. Below are a couple of important things that you can do with your daughter before she leaves.
Talk about how she can cope with moving to college
This will be the time to sit down with your daughter and remind her how much she means to you. Talk to her about how well you both are coping with her moving out and how to make things even better.
Talk about finances
Perhaps for the first time in her life, your daughter will be managing her finances on her own and you have to teach her how to handle it. Teach her about budgeting and controlling their expenses.
Talk about safety
Your daughter should have basic skills to fend for herself if the need arises. Maybe sign up to a martial arts class with her? She’ll learn how to defend herself and also some really neat moves that she can show off at college parties.
Go shopping
You and your daughter should do fun things, too. After all, moving away for college is a big thing and you should celebrate with her! Take her shopping and get her something you know she’ll like. That will surely put a smile on her face. While you’re at it, don’t forget to purchase some stuffed toys for her! You can’t go wrong with a stuffed toy, can you?
Visit extended family and friends
Family is important and they’d all want to extend their love and best wishes to your daughter on her long journey. Take your daughter to visit friends and family. Make it as fun as possible.
Do fun and recreational activities
Spend most of your time just having fun and sharing positivity. That is the most important part. Go on a trip, cook together at home or watch a movie with her. You can also play board games, but we all know those always lead to a fight, so be careful.
Go out for a walk. Enjoy the scenery with them. It is important to create happy memories that will strengthen the bond between you two and increase the love.
Give them space
Give your kid space to breathe and explore on their own even if they make a few mistakes at first. Start empowering them gradually so that by the time they leave for college, they ‘re perfectly capable of being independent and responsible.
Conclusion
Seeing your kid move to a different city all on their own can be very scary for both you and your kid. But understanding that this is an important step in their lives and that they are an adult now can take some worries away.
Focus on making the best out of it because they will deeply cherish the memories you’ll make with them now. It’ll take a while for your kid to adjust to their new surroundings so just be patient with them and give them support wherever you can.,
Remember that everyone settles at their own pace. As long as your kid knows you’ve got their back, they’ll have nothing to worry about and they’ll excel at everything!
