Letting Go
Posted on August 27th, 2007
(Source: Johns Hopkins University)
This week and next, families across America will arrive at college campuses to move kids in. Separation anxiety will prevail. Among students? Nah. Parents.
Read this from the Washington Post:
Forget the quick goodbye hug after unloading the car. As campuses in and around Washington fill with new students this weekend and next, parents, it seems, are finding it harder than ever to let go.
"Certainly, we're seeing a lot more separation anxiety, the kind that used to be at the doorstep of nursery school, not college," said Bill Conley, dean of enrollment and academic services at Johns Hopkins University.
Parents have been so involved in their children's lives through high school that it's difficult for them to just cut off that connection, said James Boyle, president of College Parents of America, an advocacy group based in Arlington County.
Leaving a freshman at college has traditionally been a milestone for families. But now, some school officials say, it's a symbol of a cultural and generational change. Many of the same people who rebelled against their parents have spent the past 18 years volunteering at their children's schools and making it to every lacrosse game. And in recent years, technology has made it easier to stay in near-constant touch.
"The drop-off has kind of evolved like weddings have," Boyle said. Now there are seminars and activities for parents on campus, and they often book hotel rooms nearby during the orientation process. "It's a weekend-long event."
Many schools have adapted their orientation sessions to accommodate parents - and some have included hints for them to back off.
So, parents, we understand. But let go. It's a rite of passage. And don't forget: there's always Parents' Weekend to look forward to.
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