One of you bright young creative types needs to pen a screenplay titled “Move-In Day” for a college project. Comedy? Drama? Thriller?
And if I don’t see “JustOneDad” somewhere in the credits, I’m going to be very disappointed.
ETA: Mystery? 
I don’t think I had much of a plan or expectation for either child. Most interesting thing for first daughter’s move-in experience: I was the only member of the family to meet her program’s director, when I bumped into him during her early (before an outdoor adventure trip) move into the res hall. I was the only person to meet him because by orientation, the next week, he had been fired. Most interesting thing for second daughter’s move in: Roommate and her mom were bickering, A LOT, and while this was uncomfortable, it also prompted me to chill, which I think my daughter appreciated very much.
I didn’t check but I bet I contributed to the “when will he pack” thread. Perhaps because son was only 16 but I had to tell him to pack everything- this was the morning of the move; had to tell him it wasn’t just clothes for a weekend…
I’m sure sons and daughters are different (look at the shoppers in the stores- how many sons are there compared to M-D combos).
I’m glad to hear you plan to leave soon after dropping her off. She’ll have plenty of unpacking to do, bed making et al. It is best if she does these- especially so she knows what was brought (anyone else tell a son months later when he is sick that there are OTC meds in his first aid kit…). It is tough but getting out of the way instead of lingering is good. If not too far planning a second trip a week or so later with forgotten items, taking back unwanted items et al is a great way to see what her space shapes up to be. In our case we walked through a women’s floor en route to son’s- what a contrast in the genders as seen through open doors! Decorated versus mainly electronics…
Roommate’s younger sibling sat on top of the student desk under the lofted bed snickering while parents disagreed on whether the students should decide the best room layout (dad) or the parents should help them work it out (mom).
Here is a scene for that movie. Old timers on this site…I apologize because you likely have read this before.
We moved DD 3000 miles away for college. We flew southwest…two checked bags each…plus we each had a carry on bag, plus a personal item. My personal item was an instrument case. DD had her computer.
We got to the rental car place…and the car was a fine size. BUT the opening to the trunk was not large enough to fit the suitcases in. So I had to upgrade to a larger car (take note parents…rent a vehicle with a trunk opening large enough…I never thought of that).
Now during all of this, DD was sitting in front of the rental car place with four suitcases, two carry on bags, a computer bag and an instrument case. So I had to either move all the stuff to the rental car…or move the rental car to the kid. Well…the rental,car folks said I could NOT drive to the front of their place. I politely said that they would need to help us schlep all the bags to the car. Guess what? They figured out a way for us to drive to the front!
We loaded up. Honestly, we felt like the Beverly Hillbillies…except we had no rocking chair on the roof of the car.
We drove to the campus where we unloaded all the stuff into her room…then went off to Target to get toiletries and a small TV, and then to Office Max to get a printer and other school supply things.
We had to empty the bags because I was taking two back with me, one was going in the trash (it was old)…the other was staying with the kid.
But really, it all went smoothly because no one else was there…at all…on the floor. It was the last orientation session prior to the start of classes. I don’t think it would have been a pretty scene if all those bags, DD and I had arrived at the same time as a roommate with all of their stuff!
RE:#16–I had a feeling I’d posted on this topic before (probably more than once). Checked the old thread–there I am at #28. Coincidentally, that kid, now 5 years out of college, was just visiting me from several thousand miles away. Shortly after he left for the airport last night, I found a bunch of his clothes in my dryer. Some things never change! (If you read the old post, it is not enough to fill a diaper box 
)
Sent 3 more kids off to college since then. I have yet to attend a move-in, and that is fine with me. First kid flew, others were driving distance. H drove with kid #2. Kid # 3 was going to same city as kid #2, so they drove without parents, with kid #2 helping kid #3 to move in. Now kid #4 and kid #3 are at the same college and traveled together–with kid #2 assisting with the move in. I did help shop/pack stuff, and try to make sure nothing is forgotten. It is not convenient for me to travel to help them move in, and I figure the kids don’t really want mom there, either, so from my view, the plan = reality. They don’t have a lot of stuff. Two students traveling in a small car, so one kid has to fit stuff in the back seat of the car, and the other has the trunk.
I’m moving in my dorm in 11 days and have an interview for an on-campus job a couple of hours after, lol.
LOL! @greenbutton How true!
One thing not to expect: Heartfelt articulate expressions of gratitude and love, Hallmark style. The kid will either be eyeing their new neighbors and want to get rid of the embarrassing parents as quickly as possible (because, you know, no one else’s parents are there or anything) OR the kid will be clinging and crying and begging you to take them home with you.
Drop off completed. She wanted me to stay and help her set the room up. That was no heart felt expression of live or appreciation. There was also no tension. All in all it went well.
I think there is something to be said for going to any scheduled parent activities on move-in day. A lot of schools have a schedule, and tell you when it is time to part, too (born out of parents starting to hang around for days, I think…,)
I will definitely set up the room for the most part. The parent reception is 1-3 and I will take off after that. He met his roommate at orientation and they decided to room together at that point so no awkward meetings. DS feels that they are already good friends. I am anticipating smooth sailing for the most part. Lots of laundry and packing is happening now.
College move in went better than I anticipated. The boy and I drove 1000 miles to move Kid#1 to college. Max had a spy mission and could not get back in time. We fit all three of us and her stuff in a Honda CR-V. Had a great drive, arrived on campus and were met by tons of kids who swooped up her boxes and hauled them in for us.
Roommate was there with her dad, who thankfully un-lofted each girl’s bed - my 5’8" DD could barely get in hers, much less the roommate who was just 5 feet tall. DS helped his sister make her bed and hang things high up on the wall. He and I attended a parent lunch and dinner while DD did her orientation. If she was anxious to get rid of us, she didn’t show it. DD drove us to the airport, gave us hugs goodbye and then we waited for our flight. For 8 hours. Ended up getting a free ticket out of the deal.
The one thing she did question was the first aid kit. I filled it with everything I could conceivably think of. She laughed and was SURE she’d never need it. She was the most popular kid on the floor and it came home this spring nearly empty.
Still have 2 years before Kid#2’s move in adventure.
Warning - Involves “Female” Details
My son chose to attend one of the many fun orientation camps during the summer before freshman year. He was assigned to the one the week before move-in, which meant he was “allowed” to dump everything in his dorm room four days early . At the time my DH was working 5 hours from home but only 2 hours from campus, so we all headed to DH’s temp apt for the weekend. DH and son were in one car, little sisters and I in the van. We got to campus and spent two hours tracking down the RA who had the key. Crazy time with nobody else around - carrying his stuff up three outdoor motel-type staircases and throwing it on the bed, then racing out to drive him to meeting place for the orientation (now very late). My car wouldn’t start. Began wishing to had found a restroom during the dorm debacle. That peri-menaupausal worry even though it’s not “that time”.
Dead battery. DS and I hopped into the little car and I zoomed him to where he was supposed to have been an hour or more earlier. Ok, crisis averted. Registration counsellors were packing up and other mothers were getting weepy in the parking lot. All I could worry about was finding a restroom. Pulled into McDonalds. Water was flooding out of bathrooms with a “Pardon Our Mess” sign and workers with mops. Found a Starbucks in the next block. Damage to garments minimal, I could still pass in public without a big red “48 and still surprised by her period” sign around my deck. But it was close and I needed to change clothes soon.
Drove back to campus. DH had located wrecker service and we limped back to where we got my van a new battery. I hauled my suitcase into the ladies room in the student union and changed. I was so mad at my body that I think I forgot to cry about missing DS for about a week.
May you all have fewer mini-dramas and more fun!
Gotta have the first aid kit full of all those things that when you need them you are in no shape to go get them . . ., chewable Pepto, Excedrin migraine, benadryl, nyquil/dayquil etc.
Amen saintfan
Never drink too much water at once or else you’ll want to pee badly. Also, why couldn’t you hold it in?
My post said imodium and somehow now it doesn’t. At any rate, when you need it you don’t want to have to go get it.
True, saintfan. D thought I was silly to pack up a mini medicine cabinet. Her reasoning was that if she got sick, her roomie could run to the drugstore and vice versa. Well, halfway through their first semester, they both came down with the flu at the same time. The mini med cabinet came in handy that week.
This year my sophomore daughter wanted her car at school a 14 hour drive from home. I had surgery the week before so hubby went on the road trip. On day 2 they planned on stopping at the major airport an hour from the school so dad could pick up an suv to be able to have his own car and a vehicle to get all the stuff out of storage. Instead I ended up having a bad reaction to meds and a post surgical reaction. Hubby ended up being dropped off at the airport to fly home and get me to the hospital and d ended up enlisting friends and roommate to help move her in. I was proud of her for making it a non issue.
Move in for S was easy. He and his dad unloaded the car while I cleaned and set up his room. The best part was when he went to the bookstore to buy a longer cable cord. He ran into a girl who had been his childhood best friend. They attended pre-school through 7th grade together and had lost touch after we moved away when he was in 8th grade. Her Mom and I always joked that one day they’d marry (didn’t happen). Throughout their 4 years together at college, they met for dinner once a week.
At D’s school, about half a dozen members of the boys’ soccer team unloaded our cars and carried her stuff to the room. After that, the tricky part for me was trying to be helpful without offering suggestions or overstepping my bounds. This was D’s show. It was funny to witness the same dynamic playing out with D’s roommate and roommate’s mom. What amazed me the most was that we were able to get the massive amount of things D brought into her room. No small feat!