<p>I know this is classic for week three of boarding school, but I just needed to post!</p>
<p>Does this sound familiar?
I have no friends.
This place is not like I thought it would be.
There is nothing to do here.
There are too many rules.</p>
<p>Feel free to add to the list!</p>
<p>There’s the classic:
I don’t like the food </p>
<p>And if the “there is nothing to do here” is from a new freshman, just wait. It will turn into “i don’t have enough time to do everything I want/have to do” (including calling home) ;)</p>
<p>How about:
“and actually im kinda of sick of this place in general. the food gives me heartburn, most of the teachers are jerks and nazi’s, and football sucks…oh and math’s the worst thing ever”</p>
<p>Linda–I had a feeling you might say that! 
I couldn’t help myself and had to start this post. Maybe we’ll have a few laughs and it will keep us from “rescuing” our babies!</p>
<p>My son LOVES the food! Although when we ask what he ate for dinner we usually only hear about the “meat” and he only ate the meat! NO potato, no veggie. All meat, all the time. Just meat.</p>
<p>BTW–son likes meat. :)</p>
<p>Just to keep the laughs coming, not only does my son have no friends, but my daughter (in college) hates me (this week!).</p>
<p>She hates her father too, so that makes me feel better!</p>
<p>Meanwhile hubby and I are weatherizing like we’re getting ready for hibernation!</p>
<p>I think baseballson must be a “meatatarian” LOL.
Until the latest message, the food was “awesome.”<br>
Of course the heartburn can’t have ANYTHING to do with the fact that he admitted to skipping breakfast in order to sleep longer so he just has nasty Little Debbies instead. I’m SURE that has NOTHING to do with it!</p>
<p>My son laid the “I have no friends” line on me during a summer residential program. He threatened to get himself kicked out and was asking me what the consequences would be – a question I didn’t answer because then he’d be in a position to make an informed choice. That had me concerned enough to call the program office. They, in turn, spied on him and reported back to me. They described in great detail what he had done that day, how he was goofing around at lunch with some kids, how he and a couple other guys had signed up for evening activities together, and he and another kid even played a practical joke on a counselor or RA. The little rat was working me over with his tales of woe! Let’s remember that these kids are bright. And devious. When they tug on your heartstrings, it may be nothing more than their way of checking in to see if you’re still paying attention and haven’t forgotten them altogether. Plus, it’s kind of fun and empowering as a kid to push a button and see your parents jump.</p>
<p>I’m sure it’s true in some cases. These stories wouldn’t work if they weren’t grounded in truth and required you to take them seriously. But skepticism is not a bad defense to these wild claims and complaints they throw at you.</p>
<p>Send gummy worms and movies!</p>
<p>I find that when they’re complaining about not having friends, its not that they don’t have people to sit at meals with or goof off with. It just that, given the length of time there, they haven’t made the true, deeper friendships that they might have had at home nor have they found those people that they can connect with at more than a surface level - those with whom they share interests. Those take time and probably aren’t the roommate they’re randomly paired with or the neighbor across the hall. </p>
<p>baseballmom - Be careful with those movies! They can be quite a distraction!</p>
<p>Mine wants to come home this weekend! It’s an epidemic!</p>
<p>All you kids now sing together…</p>
<p>"Hello mudda. Hello Fadda…</p>
<p>LOL</p>
<p>I was JUST singing that song while making dinner!</p>
<p>My daughter wanted to come home last weekend … until there was something she couldn’t resist on Saturday night at school. Then she wanted to come home this weekend … until she learned about something that will be happening on Sunday. I guess it’s nice for them to know that they can come home.</p>
<p>We’re visiting this weekend. I want to see him but don’t want to give him hope that he can leave campus with us when we go home!</p>
<p>The list has grown to include pop tarts and swedish fish! At least he’s not asking for meat!!!</p>
<p>Meat ! Last night after study hall, dorm head made BBQ sausage for them and today’s dinner was steak (although he said it’s ‘very dry’). Ha !</p>
<p>Last night facebook status changed to “is all good.”<br>
Better than the previous day’s status which trashed football and his coach. </p>
<p>He’s been going to Wal-mart and stocking up himself on the junk food, which as I said, has been breakfast. Baseball son should visit him to some of it! LOL Although it’s not poptarts.</p>
<p>On another note, I sent him a package which I BET he hasn’t picked up from the mail room!</p>
<p>Got report one night that D has gotten through a day of classes and sports on 3 Luna bars (too busy to get to dining hall). Finally, at dinner, she had a sandwich.</p>
<p>It’s reassuring to see that all first-year boys go through similar stages. We should have a parents’ handbook that describes likely symptoms and cures in Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, etc.</p>
<p>I’m trying to get my son to eat more veggies… He says the selection is not great - the same old salad bar and broccoli. No wonder some boys always eat meat. I visited last weekend and took him out for lunch. He has never looked so happy eating salmon steak and stir-fry veg! Next time he comes home, I’m sure he will go on an Asian food binge.</p>
<p>My son went “home” with a freind from Japan a couple of years ago. They went to a sushi place and we got a picture with these stacks and stacks of plates, which he explained had each contained a piece or two of sushi. My son said while he liked it a lot, most of them were his freinds becuase he had been away from “real food” for so long he just pigged out.<br>
Hubby wanted to call our son last night and tell him we were having one of his favorite meals - I wouldn’t let him - that’s wayyyy too mean.</p>
<p>I did get a call today - things are better for now. We’ll see. Didn’t mention food, but then he hadn’t been to breakfast AGAIN.</p>