I thought this was supposed to get easier once they're in college

Parents Forum
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<p>geezermom: oh, [choke-sniff] that’s so touching and true. Now I’m sitting here blubbering in the middle of the afternoon picturing the embrace. Maybe we should also talk about the reality of how much WE still need them. Do you think our parents back in the day missed us this much? I wonder considering they had way less means of keeping in touch.
…I’m sorry for your loss.</p>

102

<p>I was out today and thought of this thread. I saw a little boy in a Thomas the Tank Engine t-shirt who looked a lot like PMKjr at that age and he also loved Thomas. Oh, the lump in my throat…sometimes I miss that little boy so much my arms ache. I’m so proud of the young man he’s become but I miss those days when I could solve all of his problems, when we were also in close proximity of each other.</p>

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<p>Yes, someone once told me that when they leave the nest, you tend to miss the little child they used to be as much or more than the teenager who just moved out. </p>

<p>S1 charted his course and sailed away pretty smoothly.
S2 is a (college) jr. who still rows his boat in circles. I’m still waiting for him to take over his own life. Sometimes it seems like it will never happen. Thats the scary part.</p>

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<p>I love this quote. Thank you.</p>

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<p>poetgirl - I busted out laughing at your post. Brave girl you have! :-)</p>

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<p>When we compare our kids lives with ours, we need to realize it is a different world. A huge factor is technology. I got a text message “Mom, my roommate is snoring”… DD was venting and I was handy.</p>

<p>Technology has allowed us to see and hear more than our parents ever did. Would I worry more if I had to wait for a long distance call on Sunday at 6 o’clock? Would the transition be easier? Would she struggle more if she could not use me as a sounding board to read her paper out loud or figure out how to explain something?</p>

<p>I don’t know the answers but I am glad to have CC parents to help me realize I am not alone</p>

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<p>That’s good to hear. I wondered why all of the sudden babies, toddlers and younger children who remind me of PMKjr were so compelling and yet brought up difficult feelings as well.</p>

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<p>Timely article I saw today:
<a href=“http://www.startribune.com/local/118747899.html[/url]”>http://www.startribune.com/local/118747899.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

109

<p>This cracked me up:
"Today’s young adults also value the amenities at Mom’s and Dad’s. While boomers placed a high value on independence and were willing to live like paupers, ‘Young adults today are more willing to sacrifice independence in exchange for material comforts,’ said Katherine Newman, dean of arts and sciences at Johns Hopkins University and author of the forthcoming book ‘The Accordion Family.’</p>

<p>Doherty agreed. ‘This is a more entitled generation. They come home to live because there’s nowhere else they could live better.’ "</p>

<p>No kidding?!?</p>

110

<p>We have several friends whose Ss graduated in aviation engineering and had to go back to school for a more marketable degree. There isn’t much demand for aviation engineers in HI, where both wanted to live. One has gone to law school & the other went back to get a BS in another engineering field. He was forced to start at flagship U as a 2nd year student & has 3 more years of engineering before he can get a 2nd degree. Was was not eligible to work toward a masters in any engineering field. :(</p>