Challenges Parents Face
“Undoubtedly, for both the parents and siblings at home, it was finding new ways to continue the lines of communication. The loss of all those passing conversations in the house and out (you know, the 20-minute car ride talks or the 10 minutes at the kitchen counter) felt huge. We utilized every route of communication: regular emails, phone calls, and 'real mail' of cards and packages. We were fortunate enough to be able to visit not just on Parents Weekend, but for the occasional choir concert or ball game, this helped the whole family feel connected to campus life.”
“Don't go visit unless invited; don't stay too long; stay only for the time you were invited, like for lunch.”
“The biggest challenge was financial and trying to let our son pick the college he would be best suited to, not all based on money. Sacrifices can be made by all and loans can be paid over time, but choosing the right place for them as a student and a person should be number ONE. Also, not talking about the parental money drain too much in front of them or they may make the wrong decision for the wrong reason. Small classes and a private college was our son's best choice!” Rick and Beth Schneider
“Our biggest challenge was to not sound too disappointed early in her freshman year when she would call to ask if it would be OK if a much anticipated (on our part) first weekend at home be shortened from two nights to one because so much was going on at Centre that she didn't want to miss.” Marcia Hermann
“Communicating with our student - less frequency and less detail. Accepting the fact that we were out of the loop, our student is going to do what they want when they want. Independence - the student will be used to their independence and the parents may not be ready for it, especially during freshman year.” John and Toni Goetzman
“Get some form of overdraft protection on their checking account. I recommend a linked savings account or credit card. Of course, it depends on your student. If they bank in their hometown you can deposit money into their account easily.”
“Although the dynamics of the family changed when our daughter left (our son now gets all the daily attention, both good and bad), the biggest challenge has been the money. I thought that we would have enough money to pay for her first three years. However, with the bust in the stock market, we're going to be really pinching pennies to get her through four years.” Franklin Foster
“Not hearing everything about her daily life was difficult for us at first. We learned to try to reach our daughter by phone on her schedule. At 12:00 p.m. she was eager to talk; at 8 or 9 a.m. she was not!” Mary Beth Brown
“Long-distance phone calls to friends at other schools!”
“Besides paying for the tuition for our two children in college, it is hard to get used to being empty nesters! We both keep busy and are enjoying things together that our children didn't enjoy doing, so that it is more fun to do the things they enjoy when they are home.” Jeff and Cherry Calender
“Recognizing when the student needed parenting and when the student should be left to handle the situation on his own.” Laurel Houser