<p>We are bringing my son down to orientation and move in in August. Do most parents stay the entire orientation until Saturday. I'm not sure if lingering Tuesday-Saturday will make the adjustment more difficult. On the other hand If we leave earlier and all the other parents stay I don't want it to be awkward. What do most parents do.</p>
<p>DH just booked our flights from Chicago; we’ll be arriving Tuesday at 2pm and leaving Sunday at noon. I have a feeling there will be lots of tears (all mine) when he drags me away from my baby at the end. (clicks orbitz link to check flights for parent’s weekend)</p>
<p>Luckily a group of fellow parents will be there to console me over at the Hampton Inn in Coconut Grove where several of us are staying that week. I am not normally much of a drinker but plan to try to drown my sorrows with a couple of those fun fruity tropical drinks with my friends dindune, zincwhiskers, vhfather? (did you get your travel dates set yet?) and any other parents who would like to join us, either at the Hampton Inn or out at dinner that week!</p>
<p>We will arrive Tuesday afternoon and leave on Saturday after the brunch. We are driving, so our departure is much looser, but we will definitely be home on Saturday night. The kids are busy with their own orientation, so they don’t really have much time for the parents after move in at all. I know that seems strange, but parents have pretty busy orientation schedules as well. Perhaps a meal or two can be squeezed in with your child, but they have alot going on too. I will tell you from previous experience with our DS who will be a senior, that the departure is not easy for the parents, but the kids are fine. They do have a session for the parents during orientation called ‘Letting Go’ which is highly recommended, run by a psychologist to help you deal with this.</p>
<p>And a fun, fruity drink sounds great to me!</p>
<p>We’ll be arriving Thursday afternoon (driving down from Sanford after getting off the AutoTrain) and I’ll be flying back early Saturday afternoon. It will be my first time staying in Coconut Grove, but look forward to exploring. I have heard Jaguar is very good for food.
And, I’m sure many of these places will have a fruity drink bar:
[Coconut</a> Grove Restaurants | Urbanspoon](<a href=“http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/12/1103/Miami/Coconut-Grove-restaurants]Coconut”>http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/12/1103/Miami/Coconut-Grove-restaurants)</p>
<p>Sorry we will miss all of you. We are flying in the previous Friday and leaving on Monday, as D will be very busy with orientation training. Ummoms, I would do whatever you feel comfortable with. There will be plenty of parents that stay for the whole thing, but also plenty of parents that depart early. The kids will be very busy though, so if you stay it’s more to attend the parent events than spending time with them.</p>
<p>Concur with dumbo11 - we seem to have hijacked Ummoms original thread here…sorry - but it’s really IllinoisMom’s fault 
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<p>Whatever you decide will be the right decision! And also agree that the schedule for the new students is packed full of things for them to do, from morning thru night on most every day. There are a couple of slots left open [on Friday I seem to recall] for those tearful good-byes, but don’t wait until Saturday to do that, or you may only have a minute or two!</p>
<p>We’ll be at the Hampton Inn also. We’re arriving on 8/15 and staying until 8/19. This will be an easy drop off for me, as I’m leaving him in an apartment complex that nicer than the first house I bought! When I think of the house I lived in at college, whew!</p>
<p>Hey Ummoms - I think ZincWhiskers’ advice is wise about doing what you need, want and are able to do (i.e., what you decide!).</p>
<p>We are arriving on the 14th (also staying at the Hampton @ Coconut Grove) and leaving after the Saturday brunch. I definitely am going to attend the ‘Letting Go’ session! You will not be the only one shedding tears, illinoismom93!!!</p>