I love my D to pieces, but this “soiling the nest” thing can be a lot to take some days. My patience is wearing thin for my college bound child. Some days she is joy to be around; others, not so much. As I read the thread about the hardest part of dropping your child off at college, part of me tears up and the other part of me wants to do a little dance anticipating a more peaceful daily home life come September (yes, she doesn’t start until Sept!).
Anyone else going through this??
People I know always say:
“I will miss them terribly, but it’s time”
This statement couldn’t be more true!!
I follow my son’s university incoming freshman Twitter page. All of the incoming freshman are so excited to start school and all they can talk about is move in day. You see noticeable difference in their tone the week of move in. That excitement turns into fear. The time will come before you know it. Just be supportive.
Nope you are not alone. I watch my calendar every day wondering why it’s taking so long to get to August 17. The teenage years have been rough.
Even those of us with kids who have been going for 2 years are ready for them to be settled for the year. One took last semester off (working), has not been working enough hours this summer, but is quitting her job a month early to get ready for college. She thought she and BF were going to California, driving both ways, but even they realized that was a bad plan as the car isn’t that reliable and they have no money, so now she’s taking a week off to travel with her uncle, and I’m not sure what she’ll do for the rest of the month. The other went to a week at the beach, called yesterday to say she was changing her return ticket ($$$) and could I pick her up at midnight tonight? Sure, I hardly ever get a chance to drive to the airport at midnight. Why wouldn’t I like that opportunity? It was only 102 degrees today, it might be cooler at midnight. She also only has 3 weeks of work left, then her BF will visit for a week, and then they return to college. Yep, July 4 is just over and they think summer, at least the working part of it, is over.
Ready to send them back to college.
I’m so, SO ready to move back to school. I miss my second home like crazy. There’s absolutely nothing for a college student to do up here in my North Jersey suburb.
I spent my first college summer at home, and swore I would never do that again. I didn’t. My older kid spent her first college summer at home, and I’m sure she swore to herself she would never do that again, too. And she didn’t. My second didn’t bother to try spending a college summer at home, and he was away working most of the summer before he left for college.
I find my and my husband’s patience starting to be pushed by our rising sophomore. Somehow the “pile of shame” in our living room (laundry basket full of D’s things that are left all over the house) just keeps growing and isn’t causing any shame. Tripping over wet towels and shoes in the middle of the bathroom floor…geting old. It’s getting to be time…
@LBad96, I hope you were at least working some this summer.
Are you going to be a Seahawk orientation helper this year and move in early?
@mommdc applied a few places but never heard back from them. Got a job offer from one place but they’ve got an awful reputation and they court a lot of controversy, so…
I’m a Seahawk Link, which is a peer mentor in freshman UNI classes. But nothing to do with orientation, otherwise I would be there right now. I am moving in early and helping with freshman move-in, though.
oh, I hear you. My oldest (now graduated from college and gone) was a champion nest spoiler. She went to college locally, so was home for the summer after 1st and 2nd year. It was rough, and the closer we got to the college start date, the rougher it got.
Yes…yes it is.
i found myself wondering just how early was too early to take D to the airport for her return flight the summer after her first year of college! Days? Weeks?
My daughter was being almost pleasant tonight. She must realize she might want something before she heads back. Aug 10, Aug 10, Aug 10…
My 21-year-old has been in Florida for a week. I’m about to leave for the airport to pick him up. I need to make it through 33 days. Aug 15, Aug 15, Aug 15… 
Yes, it’s funny how I can predict when the kids need something. They become so nice!
I think your experience is common. Yes one day my kid is the pleasant young man I know him to be, the next he’s telling me I’m “micro managing him” because I’ve asked him to clean his room. I think it comes down to ambivalence on the kid’s part. They are both excited and probably a bit terrified.
I started the “Hardest part about dropping your kid off” thread and found the responses to be very reassuring as some days I feel that pit in my stomach knowing he’s leaving and other days I can’t wait for it to be done.
It’s a learning curve for us all…
@twoinanddone I also head back on August 10th!