When one of your children chooses to attend university, it can be a pretty big deal. Not only are they embarking on a new and important path, but you may also be dealing with them moving out of your family home for the very first time; and if they are an only child, it can make the house seem very quiet and strange indeed!
The university transition period can be an overwhelming and emotional time for everyone involved, so here are 4 great ways to make the process tug on the heartstrings
a little bit less.
- Help Them Choose the Right Accommodation
It will make the coping process a lot easier as a parent if you can rest easy knowing that your child is staying somewhere comfortable and affordable, and in safe distance to their university. You want your child’s first experience of living away from home to be the best it can be, so giving them helpful advice and support when choosing accommodation will be valuable.
Look into all your options in the applicable areas, such as Student Accommodation Sheffield for one of the popular UK universities, and be sure to visit with them if they need your help and advice in narrowing it down. Helping them find the right place is also about making it as personal to them as possible. There’s plenty of useful guides on making a place more “you” on sites like talentedladiesclub.com, but you can also take some inspiration to shake up your home too, as this can give your home a new lease of life and stop you from feeling like your home is a bit emptier these days.
- Decide on Methods of Contact Before They Leave
You don’t want to intrude on your child’s university time, nor do you want to be overbearing and clingy as a parent during this new level of independence your child has gained. However, you still want to be able to contact your child and catch up at a time that is convenient for both of you.
Establishing boundaries and the best way of contact before they leave will be helpful for coping, as you will then be able to look forward to when you know you can next speak to them. Check with your child whether they would prefer phone calls, video calls, Skype chats, emails… or all of the above!
Understand when they might be out of contact (such as their study schedule) so that you don’t worry if they don’t reply right away.
- Plan Big Occasions
It’s always easier when you have a specific date or occasion to look forward to, when you know you will be reunited again. This could be a random weekend, a birthday or during the holidays like Christmas. Planning in advance and knowing in advance when you will be meeting up socially with your child can really help you to stay focused and have something to look forward to, rather than feeling forlorn not knowing when you will next be able to see them.
- Take Up a New Hobby
Although it can be difficult to cope and you may feel a little lost, it doesn’t have to feel so negative. You could use the extra space and time at home with a quieter house to get stuck into a new hobby, or something you’ve always wanted to do. Take some time to care for yourself and have some personal time doing what you love to make sure that your wellbeing and mood stays at its peak during the process.
Do you enjoy solving puzzles or playing around with complex mechanisms? If so, you can try learning how to pick locks. Lock picking is a great hobby to get into for various reasons. For one, knowing how pick locks is an incredibly useful skill in emergency situations. Two, it’s an inexpensive hobby. Three, it provides excellent mental stimulation.
It’s also super easy to get started. You only need a lock pick set for beginners and a few lock puzzles or practice locks. Then you can watch free tutorial videos on YouTube to learn different lock picking tricks and techniques. That should keep you happily occupied for some time.
