<p>You have received some wonderful advice. I hope you have read all the posts. As a parent, I would amplify a few comments from my perspective. Your parents will miss you more than you miss them. You are moving on to a new, exciting, and anxious phase in your life. But would your parents really want you to just stay home and be their little girl? This is the appropriate next step in growing up. Still, it’s a big change for all. </p>
<p>I agree with everything written. I especially like the idea that you arrange a time to call on your schedule, say every Sunday at 4 or 5pm. You can call anytime, of course, but you should make arrangements ahead of time as to when you will call. This will keep your parents from calling at times when you are not able or want to talk. </p>
<p>The suggestion about Parent’s weekend is also an extremely good one. If your school does not have one in the fall, arrange for your parents to come after one month or more of school. You need time on your own to adjust, make new friends, etc. so when they come, you can show them around. They can meet your new friends at that time. </p>
<p>It might help all of you to visit your intended school over the summer, if possible. If you have been assigned a dorm room, it would be great if you could take a quick look at it before you show up on moving day. This is not always possible but if you can see your actual room, it can be a focus for your mom to help you arrange it and take the focus out of your leaving the nest. Psychologically, it may give your parents and you a less vague, more definite idea of where you will be living. It may make things a bit easier. No guarrantee, of course. </p>
<p>You will get through this and so will your parents. When my daughter left for school, it took 2 weeks before I could pass by her room and not feel sad. My son, the youngest, is a sophomore. I am still adjusting to being an empty nest parent. So tell your parents adjustment takes time but it is just the way of things. BTW, my son LOVES college and I could not be happier for him.</p>
<p>To the OP–good on you for worrying about old ma and pa. It is a heartwrenching time for us. However, keep in mind that this is a wonderful reason for a parent to be sad. There are so many worse ones. Consider the parents sending their children to war. And pity the child leaving home whose parents aren’t a little bit miserable. That’s how you know we care.</p>
<p>We survive. We are proud.</p>
<p>Like when they left you at pre-school for the first time, make your final good-bye on moving day quick. As soon as you’ve decided on your school, have them look into parents weekend. Seeing your child managing a month into school is wonderful. They’ll be fine. And so will you.</p>
<p>Recently when I was feeling sad about my daughter leaving for college next fall, my 83-year old mother told me that when she dropped me off at college for the first time (I was the youngest) that after we said good-bye at the car, I walked up the steps into my dorm and went in without looking back for a final wave good-bye. To her it was very symbolic, because I really never did look back - college was a door into a whole new world and I never went back to live in my hometown on a permanent basis again. She said she and my father left my school and went on a short vacation but that she cried for the first 3 days. She remembers that day very vividly, what I was wearing, how excited I was to go to college, and of course that I didn’t look back. She’s very proud of me and we have a great relationship but I regret that bit of thoughtlessness. My advice: make that last departure memory a good one for her - big smile, wave, blow a kiss, whatever. I wish I had!</p>
<p>A few times between now and next fall, make a point of saying thank you to each parent. You know what you are thanking them for, so be specific: for being supportive of your dreams? For pushing you when you needed it? For loving you no matter what? Tell them. They will hold that statement from you close to their hearts after you leave and it will comfort them and make them smile.</p>
<p>There will be other times as you grow that you realize that your parents have given you opportunities or support or other gifts…acknowledge them as you discover them.</p>
<p>Trust me: this will be immensely gratifying to these people who love you so much.</p>
<p>^^^
I remember that as well when we dropped our two middle kids off at the same school. They did not look back either and I cried for days. Later they told me that they could not look back because they knew I would be crying, and they did not want to see it. I never told them how I felt about that day but they knew me well enough to know that I was going to miss them terribly. </p>
<p>I too, would suggest some gesture of love, and joy as you venture off to start your life as a young woman. Mothers never forget drop off day.</p>