| I think it stinks, BUT if you haven't told them that you want a parent, they may not know how you feel.
When my kids did orientation (an overnight), they were fully scheduled at the school. I sat in a hotel room and wasted the time. They had a small program going on for parents, but it didn't seem worth doing. It turned into a mini-vacation for me. When I picked my kids up the next day, we used the long drive home to talk about what they had experienced. And yeah, I took pictures so they could remember this stage of life.
On the other hand, perhaps your parents don't have enough vacation time or they could have financial reasons. You're going to college now, and more of the burden of trying to communicate adult-to-adult in shifting to you. Stifle those little-orphan-they-like him/her better feelings, and prepare for a calm discussion. Tell them that you'd like a parent to go with you (like they did for your sibling), and ask if there's any way it can be arranged. They might have a good reason. If they have a bad reason, tell them that you're disappointed in them and hope they can resolve the bad reason for you, but you'll know they'll do their best (yeah, guilt works both ways).
If they truly can't make it, you will be ok. When my kids did orientation, there were quite a few kids on their own. Some of them were local and drove themselves, some were very familiar with the school, some were from long distances, etc. You won't be the only one on your own, and no one needs to know that you don't have the whole family sitting in the parking lot waiting for you. |