My son is at a university four hours from home and during the research process I wish I knew then what I know now.
Here’s what I know now:
· Distance is important
During the university research, I felt that away from home is away from home. Distance was less important. I now feel differently. An 8 hour return trip requires more premeditation than a 2 hour drive. My skewed sample of friends show that it’s a lot easy for parents to make to quick, spontaneous trip to campus when the missing-you pain is too great.
During the university research, I felt that away from home is away from home. Distance was less important. I now feel differently. An 8 hour return trip requires more premeditation than a 2 hour drive. My skewed sample of friends show that it’s a lot easy for parents to make to quick, spontaneous trip to campus when the missing-you pain is too great.
· Nothing replaces in person communication
I believed there were so many fast, free, cheap, efficient ways to communicate (i.e., cell phone, text messaging, BBM, Skype, email, facebook, twitter, etc.) that as a parent there may even be more communication than having a teenager at home. My experience may not be typical, but if you have a student who made a great transition to university finding time to communicate with the parents is not a priority. So much for the BlackBerry upgrade!
I believed there were so many fast, free, cheap, efficient ways to communicate (i.e., cell phone, text messaging, BBM, Skype, email, facebook, twitter, etc.) that as a parent there may even be more communication than having a teenager at home. My experience may not be typical, but if you have a student who made a great transition to university finding time to communicate with the parents is not a priority. So much for the BlackBerry upgrade!
· Nothing can prepare you for this
I could not have been more prepared and I knew I was going to miss him terribly, but it’s much, much harder that words can describe. The drive home after we helped him move in residence was filled with buckets of silent tears.
I could not have been more prepared and I knew I was going to miss him terribly, but it’s much, much harder that words can describe. The drive home after we helped him move in residence was filled with buckets of silent tears.
On the positive side we will see him next weekend! Countdown officially begins today!
