<p>Interesting article from MSNBC.com: [Homesickness</a> really is an illness, doctors say](<a href=“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16437570/]Homesickness”>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16437570/).</p>
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<p>I’ve been underwhelmed by these reports. The “experts” state that preparing for separation is important prevention … can’t say I’ve seen evidence of this with my own kids. Talking about it, acknowledging that homesickness is normal, practicing with short separations, etc., doesn’t make it better. It can still be debilitating. Depends entirely on personality – some six-year-olds can leave home without a backward glance, some eighteen-year-olds suffer intolerably. I’ve got both kinds.</p>
<p>I think it would be heartbreaking as a parent to know your kid was suffering severely from homesickness. It’s sad!</p>
<p>I grew up with divorced parents, bouncing back and forth between their homes, went to sleep-away camp, spent weekends with grandparents and aunts, and went on numerous trips with various family members without the slightest problem with homesickness.</p>
<p>But this doesn’t mean that I was immune.</p>
<p>When I left college and got a job, I was intensely homesick – for the college life – for several years afterward. There were aspects of college life, such as the easy, undemanding socialization of the dorms and loose scheduling of college days, that could never be replicated in “real life,” and the people with whom I had formed deep friendships were suddenly scattered all over the country. It took me a very long time to get used to that.</p>
<p>Sometimes, I think that homesickness can be a function of circumstances rather than personality.</p>
<p>yes, of course you’re right Marian – I oversimplified with the “personality” observation. I meant to suggest that, given the same circumstances, different personalities will handle the situation differently.</p>
<p>Good point, celloguy.</p>
<p>I agree with you celloguy that it is totally dependent on personality. I have 3 children–all were exposed to camps, sleep overs, travel, etc in the same degree (though with different levels of personal enjoyment). Older two went to college and not a backward glance–youngest had/has a difficult time and I think it has more to do with his personality than his school choice. Older two could have been happy anywhere probably–third one never liked camps or change of any sort.</p>
<p>How many college age kids have never spent a night away from home, as described about the girl in the story.</p>
<p>Feeling sad about missing what is familiar is probably a profile that occurs on a bell curve distribution-- like most things. Some kids never look back, some kids are really sad for a while- the majority feel it for a while, then are fine. Is it a ‘real illness’ is an entirely different question. Probably many of the kids have other ‘diagnoses’ if that is what you want to get to- separation anxiety, social anxiety, something like that. Just guessing.</p>
<p>A lot about this needs to be looked at with the sort of cognitive preparation kids get for going away. ‘Low expectations’ smacks of a generally pessimistic mind set which obviously gives the greatest chance of failure. Then there is the experiential preparation- I’ve done it before, I got over it, I can do it again. Lots to be said for that, too.</p>
<p>‘Real illness’-- does this mean we’re going to have a new ‘label’-- “MHD”- missing home disorder…blech.</p>