<p>Before we get solidly into the summer, I wanted to suggest that the parents who have children going away to school in the fall get a couple of things done. First is getting any vaccinations you want your kids to have. You might look into the meningitis vaccine. Last year it was difficult to get the vaccine later in the summer. The other thing to get busy on is getting their wisdom teeth checked. Wisdom teeth typically start erupting about the time they go off to college. My son called home 2 weeks into school saying, "Mom, I'm getting some new teeth!" If you wait until July or August, the oral surgeons will be all booked up.</p>
<p>Check with your auto insurance company. Ours gives a great discount if student is full-time, more than 100 miles from home and doesn't have a car at school.</p>
<p>Find out if they'll be covered under your health insurance and what they need to do if they need medical care (out of network). </p>
<p>Both of these may require proof of college enrollment.</p>
<p>Get Passports as well, you never know when something great will come up and if they don't have one yet, do it, it can take 4-6 weeks</p>
<p>well, i did the passport thing already, we have a physical set for shots, but the wisdom teeth....i thought about it the other night when i couldn't sleep..i'll take care of that and make an appt with the dentist, too.</p>
<p>most important, take your child to lunch some time, or out for a round of golf, or just anything that is just for the two of you. and i suggest you try this more than once</p>
<p>Mumps vaccination renewal. There's a minor epidemic going on in midwestern colleges. I assume it will spread.</p>
<p>Ask your doctor about the meningitis vaccine. According to my doctor the new vaccine had some problems associated with it and you should try to get the older version of the vaccination. I'm not a doctor but the vaccine is definitely recommended for kids going off to live in dorms.</p>
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Get Passports as well, you never know when something great will come up and if they don't have one yet, do it, it can take 4-6 weeks.
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<p>This is a really good idea--within the next couple of years, even travel to Canada or Mexico will require a passport! Since many colleges are located within an easy "day-trip" of Canada or Mexico, a student who doesn't have a passport when going off to college might miss out on some nice opportunities that could come up on fairly short notice. (E.g., attending an academic conference across the border.)</p>
<p>Here is the information about the proposed timetable for increased passport requirements for travel to destinations that did not previously require them.</p>
<p>As well, at the airport a passport can be easier to get through if someone on a watch list has a similar name, as happens with my H...if he checks in with at the computer thing, he is asked to go to the counter to have his ID checked...it takes alot longer with his CalID than when he uses his US passport</p>
<p>For parents of girls, make an appt with the gyno. The first pelvic exam should be done around age 18, even if she is not sexually active.</p>
<p>Re: shots
Menningitis HepA Mumps</p>
<p>How about renter's insurance? All I need is the worry of replacing that laptop!</p>
<p>Something else, is take photos, get serial numbers of valuable...cameras. ipods, computers, etc</p>
<ol>
<li><p>One of the best things that my son did was to open checking and savings accounts in a bank that has branches both in our home town and on his campus. It has been very convenient for him.</p></li>
<li><p>Suggest that the kid go to K-mart and buy a two-week supply of underwear and socks (double that if the kid is planning to go to the gym every day on campus). Kid will not be sorry.</p></li>
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<p>Many homeowners insurance policies will cover your student's belongings while living in dorms....check with your agent....you may need an additional rider for big ticket items...computer, good camera, etc.....oh, and strongly encourage your girls to leave the good jewelry at home!</p>
<p>great thread, might want to bookmark at least temporarily???</p>
<p>Does anyone know what the minimum age is for checking accounts for those of us who have a 16 or 17 year old going to away for college? I just remember when my son was 11 he traveled to Europe with his chess team and we wanted to get him an ATM card so he could have access to cash and the bank would not put it in his name. Thanks.</p>
<p>When my S was 17 he had no problem opening up a checking account...local banks had actually set up tables on campus wooing the freshmen. He opened a local savings/checking account, but I counseled him to resist any credit card offers. He was NOT ready for that, and only is now at 21.</p>
<p>Don't know but my son got a checking account when he was 17, with a bank card, and my name is not on the account.</p>
<p>I second the poster who suggested a bank with branches in both cities--easy for me to deposit money for him or that last summer paycheck that comes here!</p>
<p>The day after graduation until they leave for college they should do their own laundry. Throwing in a few of their things with yours because you don't have a full load doesn't help them. By keeping their laundry completely seperate and doing it themselves, they not only learn HOW to do the laundry, they have a better idea of how many clothes they really need at college and it won't be their whole closet. However, if you do this, you have to realize that yes, kids do wear their jeans five days at college and let it go if they do that. Oh, and the signal to do laundry tends to be when they run out of underwear. You only help with sorting, how to remove stains, dryer temps, etc - no nagging. </p>
<p>One very important thing to do (this should probably be done on 18th birthday) is ask them to sign a medical power of attorney. With current medical privacy laws, if something happens to them and they are seriously hurt, you won't be able to get any information or make decisions quickly without it. </p>
<p>This won't allow you access to their medical information under normal circumstances so you need to discuss with them your expectations. Most student medical and counseling centers have forms the student can sign giving you permission to discuss their diagnosis, get copies of lab reports, etc. If you and your kid decide that complete access is appropriate, you will need another form to get off campus medical info. </p>
<p>Go over your medical insurance with them. Explain how to determine if organization is in network or out of network. If your insurance has a web site where they can get forms they need, go over that with them. When medical provider requests lab test, x-rays, etc teach them to ask the provider to verify that the place they refer your kid to will take your insurance. The health center at my daughter's college will call and verify this for the students if they ask and refer them somewhere else if the original place is not on our insurance.</p>
<p>My kids have had a joint account with me at Bank of America since they were 13. Now that they're 19 and 20, we have considered removing me from the account, but we've all found it so useful that we don't really want to. By having a joint account, I can easily transfer money from my account to theirs online--which has come in VERY handy for a few minor crises (and during travel) as well as making it simple to reimburse them for some expenses, like books--as well as allowing me to openly discuss how they're spending their money. As unlikely as it sounds, they seem to prefer the convenience to having more privacy.</p>