Greeks- the truth

Parents Forum
21

<p>
[quote]
No matter how great a parent you have been and all the lessons provided plenty of kids still get caught up in things that are not healthy for them. For some, the new independence, peer pressure and lack of another support system at school is enough to start them down the wrong path. Kids mature at different rates and have very different personality traits regardless of how they were raised.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes, this is true, but by the same token there are numerous studies that show students who are likely to participate in risk behaviors that these traits present themselves well before they attend college. Maybe we don't see the signs (and maybe we just are not looking for them). I know that no one's kid is perfect but unless you are with your kid 24/7 there is a high likelihood that the kid that becomes a binge drinker on campus has not taken his/her first drink when arriving at college and the kid that folds to peer pressure has folded in the past.</p>

<p>I think that it is important to shift to a level of interdependence before your kid leaves for college. Talk to your child about making good decsions, let your kid learn how to make decisions, let them take ownership, responsiblity and accountabilty for those actions that stem from their decsions even there are a couple of opps moments (they will learn something).</p>

22

<p>this is all good information to have- I appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences.
The schools we looked at for older D didn't happen to have Greek system- or they weren't the driving force behind activities on campus- but while we haven't seriously started looking at any for younger D, I wanted to have a broader view incase some of the schools did have quite a few.</p>

<p>I haven't talked to her about it-but as she has always leaned towards adrenaline producing risky behaviors ( rugby/snowboarding/rock climbing etc), it is in the back of my head that if that need isn't being served enough, that she might find that sex/parties could fill the gap with much less effort than a new route on El Capitan.</p>

<p>However Im also thinking that some sororities will not be along her lines at all. She would chafe at having a dress code for anything,she has never even wanted to join a team that has try-outs.
( which reminds me- her instructions for her formal senior year picture have come- I have no idea how I will persuade her to get one taken- she hates to have her picture taken and has never had a professional one done by herself- if you don't count the "school" photos)</p>