Lonely Parent Math (for moms and dads missing their first-year away kids)

Parent Cafe
1

This is a goofy post, but it’s meant to encourage the parents who feel a little lost with their babies freshly out of the nest.

Consider this:

Your kid will very likely, (once again, some kids will differ, but most kids will…)

  1. Come home for four MONTHS in the summer.
  2. Come home for four days at Thanksgiving.
  3. Come home for three to five weeks at Christmas.
  4. Come home for a week or two at Spring Break
  5. And might even come home for a weekend or two when you don't expect it.

If you add that all up…your kid will be at home 5-6 months of the year.

Think about that.

They’re only really away about half the year!

Someone told me this when I was desperately missing my kid the first October she was away at college, and it really made me feel better. (I have a bit of a different perspective now, having grown into this college mom thing for a few years…lol…but man, I remember that first fall was tough)

There’s no denying that life is changing, your relationship is changing, there are gonna be a few growing pains…but you honestly DO have more time to transition to this whole new world than you think. Seeing them 5-6 months of the year is a LOT of involvement and family time. Once you’ve got a year of this under your belt, it’s gonna feel more normal and you’ll feel better. Promise.

2

Ummm, no. Even if they are home for the entire summer, it’s more like 12 weeks or so. And many of them go to other cities for jobs, internships, etc.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer.

3

I’m missing my kid and it’s only been 4 weeks (and 5 days). He’s loving it there though and doing so many interesting things. He’s not coming home for his fall break or Thanksgiving. I’ll have to wait until Christmas =((
I still have not learned how to grocery shop for just 3 people. The dog is snugglier with me than he has ever been. Thank goodness for snap streaks and phone calls!

4

Very Happy…it depends on where your kid goes to school. My kid gets a full four months off for the summer. You’re right though…some schools have shorter summers.

And it’s very unusual (though not impossible) for freshmen to get internships in other cities. The vast majority of freshmen come home for summer.

5

threebeans, hang in there. It gets better, I promise:)

6

That is a great cognitive restructuring technique @MaryGJ, no matter the minor differences bases on slightly different school’students schedules.