<p>We spent $1000 on airfare and hotels to visit our D1 during her freshman parent weekend. We brought along D2 who was still in HS. </p>
<p>D1 was really busy and tried to accommodate us, but it was clear that we were interfering with the flow of her new life, and it was overall kind of funny how little time we got to spend with her. While it was reassuring that she was thriving, during the breakfast on Sunday I took an informal survey of parents and couldn’t find any that were there for their second parent weekend. We didn’t go back again for another parent weekend. </p>
<p>D2 asked us not to come during her parent weekend. She knew better. </p>
<p>Thats why its really dependent on the school.
Youngests university held lots of events for families that students did not necessarily have to participate in.
They had things set up for younger siblngs ( bouncy slides, swings & live music), panel discussions with profs and experts off campus regarding local issues she was interested in. Sailing cruises on the bay, hotel & other discounts for people visiting the university,
( this was the spring event held for accepted students, alumni and current families)</p>
<p>My son’s school has a four day weekend which he comes home for really close to Parents Weekend, so since we get to see him at home, we have never gone to Parents Weekend. I think he would like it if we came but it is expensive to fly there and the hotels are all booked up. I hope to visit on an different weekend this year.</p>
<p>I went for my son’s freshman and sophomore years (his college is 13 hours away, but lots of kids there come from closer locations). We didn’t participate in any of the scheduled activities. We had dinner together the first night and then went hiking the next day the first year, then last year we drove into the nearest city to go to a mall so I could buy him a suit for a conference. He already told me not to bother coming this year and that the event is mostly for parents of freshmen. It makes me kind of sad because I love his school and it makes me happy to be there (and to see him, of course). </p>
<p>I informed my D that we wouldn’t be coming for Parent’s Weekend (she will be a freshman and I assumed that she wouldn’t want us there, so I was trying to let her off the hook). Well she was mortified! “But I’ll be the only one there without family” (which of course I knew wasn’t true, but it was her reality). So we will be there! It’s a short cheap flight with plenty of affordable hotel options so the decision was easy. </p>
<p>bbwink:
We loved Parents’ Weekend at Tufts although we live much closer to the school than you do, so it wasn’t as big a deal to get there. They showcased a lot of the performance groups, had interesting speakers and it was nice to see how quickly he made himself a part of the school. At the same time, he had friends from the West Coast whose parents didn’t come so don’t feel guilty!</p>
<p>Depends on the kid, for me. None of mine ever wanted us there, and as a family we resist organized events anyway. Even the kid who went to school an hour away from home preferred to meet me off campus for our lunch dates…something to be said for giving them ownership of their own psychic space…after move in weekend, of course, which is the last opportunity to embarrass them in person…</p>
<p>Went to parents’ weekend once with the older son. Very expensive to fly from DC to Birmingham (Son attended the U. of Alabama). My younger son and I stayed about 40 minutes away from the campus. Nice hotel, too. But, over dinner one night, my son said that we should skip parents weekend in the future, because of the cost. Now, my younger son will head to college this fall, and we may reconsider doing parents weekend, because he needs to leave early for cross country practice/move in. This is his first real experience away from home, so he may like the idea of a parent visit. We do not need to do all the activities, either. He may be happier if we go to dinner and hit the stores for groceries. My older son, whenever we visited, loved staying with us and sleeping!</p>
<p>Went to parents’ weekend at S’s school and attended family weekend - with the grandparents, who loved it - at D’s school - both during their freshmen years. Didn’t attend subsequent years but visited when the opportunity (traveling for work) presented itself.</p>