April
Transition Issues
Tips for Successful Parenting
Summer is just around the corner, and it’s time to finalize plans for the break. Will he choose to be a camp counselor, take a summer internship, or come home to work &/or take classes at the local college? These are all decisions that you’re encouraged to Continue reading →
March
Transition Issues:
Tips for Successful Parenting
Spring is here! Flowers are blooming and the weather is looking up – a real distraction from being cooped-up during the winter months. There are Frisbees to be flown, naps to be taken on the lawn, and, oh yeah, and tests and papers and presentations to prepare for. Understand your students’ desire to Continue reading →
February
Transition Issues:
Tips for Successful Parenting
Spring Break is right around the corner. Most students have been thinking about any number of options they might have: going home, staying on-campus to make extra money, or heading to the beach or mountains with friends. This is a great opportunity to talk about his plans, as well as share your expectations about things like, who is financing a trip or what he might do if Continue reading →
January
Transition Issues
Tips for Successful Parenting
Lead with questions. Most students still want their parent(s) to express interest in what she is doing; she will most likely still seek your permission/blessing for what she wants to do. Try using “open-ended questions” (questions that demand more than a “yes” or “no” response) that allow her to tell you details while Continue reading →
December
Transition Issues:
Tips for Successful Parenting
Expect change – plenty of it. The son you dropped off in August will not be the one who comes home for the winter holiday. Change is not only inevitable, it’s expected and necessary for healthy relationships. Your student will experience new relationships, academic challenges and Continue reading →
November
Transition Issues
Tips for Successful Parenting
Phone calls about low grades, difficult relationships or ruining a favorite t-shirt in the wash may be tough for you to hear, but none of them are the end of the world – yours or hers. Be patient when you get those “nothing is going right and I Continue reading →
October
Transition Issues
Tips for Successful Parenting
Write often – postcards, letters, emails, it all matters! Although your student is in the throws of new experiences they are still anxious to hear from home. There isn’t a student alive who won’t get excited about a care package from home full of Continue reading →
September
Transition Issues
Tips for Successful Parenting
Being homesick is often just as much of an issue for you as a parent as it is for your student. The first few weeks of college are packed with events to help students become engaged in campus life. The challenges of meeting new people and learning the campus culture take time and energy. Even if they don’t Continue reading →
The following is a month-by-month walk through the major transitional issues in a fairly typical freshman year. Certainly these will look a little different from student to student, but after many years of observation and experience, these major themes remain fairly consistent.
Following them to the letter won’t assure you and your student a trouble-free year, but, hopefully, knowing what to expect might minimize the anxiety just a little; for both of you.
August
Transition Issues
Tips for Successful Parenting
This is the most significant transition in your student’s life to date. It presents a great opportunity to Continue reading →