Properly Sending Your Kids Off to College

Possibly one of the hardest things parents have to do for their kids is to prepare them for college. Of course, saving up for it is very challenging and will take years of earning and saving money. But there's also actually helping the kid transition into a new life. One that's complete all his/her own. When you send your kid to college, you're essentially saying goodbye to the child you raised. It's often the first step into adulthood and you'd want to prepare him/her for as much as you can. but how can you do that? Here are some ways.

 

Start Preparing Them at An Early Age

If there's one thing that you will give your kid when you send him/her off to college, it's independence. Most especially if he/she will live in a dormitory. But even if he/she will still live you throughout his/her college years, his school will take up so much of his/her time that you'll barely see him/her at all. And as much as you want to, you won't be that much help. So in order for your kid to not get shell-shocked by being left all alone, it's better if you teach him/her the value of independence at an early age. 

 

Shop for Dorm Supplies Together

Are you worried that your son might not have his own stapler to use in his dorm? Are you concerned that your daughter might not have a place to store her dirty clothes? If those are the cases, you should shop for dorm supplies with them. It doesn't have to go as far as buying his/her own bed. But rather appliances, small furniture, and the like that you can easily carry to the dorm. At the very least, even when he/she is no longer living under your roof, your kid will still have everything he/she needs to live and study comfortably. 

 

 

Create a Budget Plan

Let's say your kid is moving to London for university. It's a very expensive city to live in! If he/she isn't careful, he/she might end up penniless before the first term is through. And of course, you wouldn't want that to happen! So why not create a budget plan to ensure that your kid manages his/her finances wisely. Sort out how much he/she will spend on food, clothes, and other necessities. As well as have enough extra to still ahve fun too. It'd even help if he/she opened a local bank account as well. That way, he/she will have a safe place to store and save his/her money. 

 

Encourage Them to Get a Job

With all this talk about creating a budget plan and managing finances wisely, how will your kid even get money in the first place? You can't keep sending some every time he/she needs it. The whole point of sending him/her off to college is to let him/her become his/her own person. So in that regard, encourage and even teach him/her to get a job. If he/she will be studying in Belgium, for instance, it's easy to land employment here. And even the smallest of jobs can pay well enough so that your kid won't have to bug you all that much about money anymore. 

 

 

Teach Them How to Stay Safe

Let's face it, there's practically no such thing as a totally safe city. Even a beautiful place like Paris sees crimes happen often. That's just the way it is. But what about your college kid? You're practically sending him/her out into the world on his/her own. Will you be fine with that? You might be if you taught him/her how to stay safe. If they're heading off to a different city for college, learn where the dangerous areas of the place are and how to avoid them. Ensure that he/she memorized th emergency hotline. And it won't hurt if you bought him/her a whistle, pepper spray, and a tazer. 

 

Tour the Campus Together

Finally, right before you say goodbye to the kid you raised, tour the college campus with him/her. Know where your child will study, hang-out, eat, and more.  Though they might feel annoyed at first—that's teen angst for you!—deep down, they'll appreciate you coming with them as they explore their new home, the first one they'll have without you in it. As for yourself, at least you'll have an easier time knowing where your kid is at any time of day. And in this regard, you'd benefit from learning more about the area on which the campus is located. Especially if it's in a busy city. 

 

 

When it's finally time for your kid to fly off the nest and go to college, you might not know what to do. But rest assured there are a handful of ways of sending your child out into the world, ready to face whatever comes his/her way!