Do you send care packages to your students? How often? Do you use outside companies or do it yourself? What should be included ?
My kids’ school sells end of semester care packages to raise money for the volunteer program. They include choices of pizza or popcorn, etc. I order something each time. Other than that, I have never sent a care package to any of my children. If they need something, like clothing, I will order and have it delivered but I am not the type of parent to bake cookies and mail them to anyone.
I’m the type that bakes. That’s pretty much the only kind of care package I send, home baked goodies and homemade candies and snacks. I do it once or twice a semester. I send a large box with plenty to share. Sometimes, I’ll order a clothing item and send that. I don’t send little gadgety things as both the kids and I try to minimize “stuff”. One kid goes to school across the country and I’ve found sending care packages frustrating due to cost and the shipping time it takes. Even when I pay for priority, it seems to take at least 2 days longer to get there, and the problem is with the USPS not the campus post office.
I have a 3rd year and 4th year college students and I am always sending them care packages. I usually send them some favorite snacks/goodies that they cannot get near their school. I know they always look forward to these packages, especially during finals week when it nice to have something from home to say Good Luck…
I send homemade cookies and included gluten free for one of the room mates that needed that kind. I spend $30-$50 to overnight cookies that probably cost $10 to make. 
But they loved them and I have done it many times over the years. I am “famous” (ha) for rocky road that I send around the holidays. For one student, it was homemade granola cause he is athlete and super picky about diet (no cookies for him and his roomies).
The care packages the school offered were just full of junk candy that none of them would eat or could buy at the bookstore if they wanted it.
Sent a few times a year, more freshman and sophomore year than later on. On some special holidays, I sent Shari’s Berries (delivery can be challenging however) and Harry and David Moose popcorn a time or two.
I send a mix of homemade boxes with socks, toothbrush, candy, things I’ve picked up when I’m shopping, and commercial stuff from amazon, popcorn tins from The Popcorn Factory, a box of makeup and stuff from Ulta. Sort of do whatever is easiest.
Excellent suggestions. Thank you everyone!
I send a few each year with home baked cookies and an assortment of their favorite snacks- Nutella & Go, Dentyne Ice gum, flaming hot Cheetos, and a few other things like a poetry book, wool socks, etc. H thinks they should just buy what they want when they want it- but they have each mentioned how much they love receiving a special box from home, so I still send them.
No. Not really. Dorm rooms are small and who needs the clutter of those tchotchkes. I’d already given them gift cards to local restaurants, ice cream shops, etc.
A friend of mine is a “gifter” and makes care packages for dozens of her kids’ friends. I’m not interested in fostering those relationships like that - my kids’ friends were theirs, not mine. She sent my kids care packages that included all kinds of tchotchkes related to Dr Seuss Thing ONe and Thing Two (since mine were twins). I must have used that phrase once to describe them and she must have thought it was a thing in our family. Mugs, stickers, key chains, notebooks … Didn’t really have the heart to tell her it probably all went in the trash. Just a lot of junk no one needs.
As a teacher, I developed relationships with many of my older son’s friends. So when they went to college, they sent me their addresses. I would drop them a card on their birthdays, and maybe something sweet that they liked. One girl loved peppermints. Another likes Skittles. It is just a little something to let them know I am thinking of them. One of his friends once sent me a wonderful note of thanks. Then, she told me that my card and Skittles was the first and only package she had received that year. So I knew it was very appreciated.
As for my own sons, they are very happy when I send a gift card so they can go off campus to dine.
I think people who do things like that are very nice. It’s just not the kind of thing I would really do. I only met my D’s college friends once or twice. I never met any of my S’s college friends except for his girlfriend. We just sort of keep our distance and privacy more. We are not an extroverted family.
My son got one really fun (I thought) care package for his first Halloween at school. He told me he never ate most of the stuff in it…so you know what? He never got another one. I did send gift cards to,local places, and the local grocery store.
DD liked getting things she could use…but not food items. I would occasionally send her a box with some fun, items she could use…or toss. And she also got gift cards.
One of my neighbors has two kids who were middle and elementary school when my kids went to cllege. My kids actually babysat for them. Their graduation gift was a home baked care package every two months for the first year my kids were in college. And they are great bakers. I’m not!
At the school my D will be attending, residence life sells care packages delivered to the kids at special time though out the year halloween, finals, valentines… It’s mostly food related and even contains fresh fruit but I think the “move in welcome” package might have a coffee mug.
I always made my own care packages as the ones the school’s put together were nice but never seemed to have my kid’s favorite things. I got in the habit of sending one for Halloween every year. And then I usually baked and sent things 2 day priority mail right before finals week. They were always appreciated by my kids and their friends.
This thread reminded me of the time my mom sent me a hat/glove set. When I finally had the chance to use them, it was then that I realized she had put money in the gloves. She never said anything to me up to that point. But I sure did thank her. I also remember when my grandmother sent me $10 to get a soda. Other times my mom sent me a St. Patrick’s Day pin (didn’t quite make it intact through USPS) or Valentines Day card (or those kinds of things). Not every year. Not all the time. But enough that I really really appreciated receiving them. I try to do the same thing for mine. I might not know how much they were appreciated. But I know how much I appreciated my mom!
I sent the occasional card (usually with a gift card inside). This includes mailing CVS cards at Halloween and Easter so she could buy her own candy, as she’d get more bang for the buck if I wasn’t paying to ship it. Sounds a little cold and unfeeling as I type; but it was meant well, and she is used to my (let’s be kind and call it) frugality.
Just to add, one of my students had a lot of international friends/room mates and when I visited, the first thing they said was, “thank you for the cookies!” or whatever it was I sent. It was a really big deal to them, and it was the room mates who were the most grateful (I suppose mine were use to my cookies). Their parents even sent me the nicest thank you emails cause apparently they heard about the care packages too which was sweet. The great thing is that these care packages started this great bonding with all of them, and consequently, I have gotten to know my college students friends/room mates really well. Every one them knows they have a place to stay when they are visiting our area and vice versa. An unintended but wonderful benefit of doing a little something for somebody.
We sent out 7 boxes last year in early dec; they were a labor of love. But It was so fun; my younger daughter and her friend made lots of bars, cookies and homemade candies; we also stuffed the boxes with beef jerky, trail mix, fruit snacks, nuts & pine-scented plug-ins. We received the nicest thanks notes. One parent friend has already texted that she wants to contribute this year because they were “the best care packages.” That’s inspiration to do it again! Each box ran about $10 for shipping; however, the randomness of surprising these kids who we’ve known for a long time was really fun.
When my son was in a grad school dorm, packages were delivered there and he got a text. That was only time I sent homemade treats. It could take weeks for him to pick up a package. Occasionally, I send things to his lab. There are local bakeries that deliver and he has fun sharing. My local card and gift shop buys lots of cute items. They had a lot of Harry Potter items, like the jelly beans. A Star War Lazer beam, filled with M&Ms, was a big hit. The store is owned by a young man (late 30s?), so the store reflects his taste.
Rather than a gift card to local restaurants, I’d tell him to go eat out, using our shared credit card. Cambridge has so many single owner restaurants, that it would be a shame to limit him. He also plans one dinner out with his closest friends when I’m visiting.
I have sent these when I wanted to send a little something.
https://www.cheryls.com/free-6-cookies-plus-shipping?cmCategoryId=DIRECTPRODUCT&flws_rd=1
https://www.cheryls.com/gluten-free-sampler-gift-box-cco-fdy-174041?categoryId=400047993