Top Tips for Supporting Your Child When They Leave for College

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Empty nest syndrome is something the vast majority of parents across the length and breadth of this country and beyond experience at some point in their lives.

When your son or daughter leaves home for college or university, you will understandably be experiencing a wide range of emotions, varying from pure pride to sheer panic. With this in mind, continue reading to discover some top tips for supporting your child when they leave for college.

Plan, Organize & Pack Together

The worst possible thing you can do ahead of your little bird flying the proverbial nest is to shut down and not talk about your emotions and the future.

Right from when you both learn the start date of the new term, try to keep a positive mental attitude and plan as much of the move together. Help your child with everything from shopping for college clothes and college books, to visiting their new student accommodation and meeting with the admin and college entry staff.

Additionally, schedule a weekly video or phone call, and ideally, one with a friend or two from your child’s hometown to ensure the links between family, close friends, and other loved ones is kept alive and strong.

Maintain Their Childhood Presence at Home

Although, upon the first read, you may feel as if there would be no possible way you would ever immediately clear out the entirety of your child’s belongings and chuck them in the nearest dumpster.

However, what keeping a childhood presence in and around your home actually means is to actively endeavor to make it a safe space, with a constant sense of belonging and to ensure your house will always feel like home.

If shortly after your child leaves for college, or else later down the proverbial line, you do need to make some space, it is strongly advisable to contact an established and prestigious self-storage company, such as Storage Area, which has climate controlled storage, who will be able to tailor-make a quote to suit the length of time you want their belongings to be safely and securely stored.

Join Online Communities

Obviously, if your child is soon to leave the family home, you are certainly not alone and, therefore, the best thing you can do, especially if you are expressing sadness or negative emotions surrounding the change, is to join online communities.

Online communities can be so beneficial for a number of multi-faceted reasons including, but not limited to, the following:

A sense of belonging
Solving problems and issues
Learning new things
Being around like-minded people
Knowledge exchange
A fabulous way to engage and challenge your brain

Enjoy Your Freedom

With all the excitement and numerous benefits afforded a parent or guardian, you have to admit that sometimes, it can sort of feel as if you have no time for yourself.

When your child finally leaves for college or university, it signifies not only a brand-new chapter beginning for them but also a new phase of life for you.