<p>amtc - hugs form these quarters too!!! I know that was so hard, but you did the right thing. She will be so proud of herself later!!</p>
<p>It’s been a while since I have been in school, but I have warned DH that the crash will come. Again, I think my DD’s will be because of exhaustion. </p>
<p>Talked last night after radio silence for a couple days. She admitted that she had been a bit stressed out and was keeping quiet to get through it. One of her art teachers is, shall we say, a bit hard to figure out. Go figure. I said, of course she is, she is an artist. She laughed. I think she will be fine, but is now vascillating between the art ed program and straight up elementary ed with an art minor (my preference, but I am shutting up). I think the LLC she is in (education) is really making her see how much she loves teaching. She is joining big brothers big sisters, and is going to volunteer in a school, so that may assist.</p>
<p>Hugs to all those whose kids are calling home a little blue. After a few weeks, little sleep, and probably not the best food choices, any kid will be a littel home sick. Keep the faith, they will make it!</p>
<p>Hi PinotNoir … yes, I agree you get a BINGO chip for missed morning class. This says that you have totally let go (as you should) and your kid gets to have natural consequences for their action (or inaction in this case). You may even be qualified for the 2 letters, “GO,” because this proves that you have let go like we are supposed to do!</p>
<p>And amtc … wow, what a day for you. I feel for you and your H but I’m glad your D seems to be giving it a college try. BINGO point for you for driving away despite the tears. Wow.</p>
<p>Oh amtc, your story is familiar. My D didn’t want us to drive away and leave her, and we had a great deal of trouble staying composed. She had never been away from home before. Within 48 hours she was fine—very homesick at times, but happy with the friends she had made and with the school as a whole. Now, a little over a week later, she’s doing great. I’m sure it will be the same for your D. We kept reassuring my daughter that we were available if she really needed us and that helped. Just knowing that she could reach out to us at any time meant that she didn’t feel the need to anymore, if you know what I mean.</p>
<p>amtc - omg I would have fallen apart as well if my child did that. Thank goodness you all held it together until you heard she was okay. She owes you for that.</p>
<p>I will admit my son totally let down PN. I’ll be sure to get my son on the stick already. </p>
<p>I’m becoming very zen about the letting go thing. As much as it kills me and I want to hover and nag I’ve got to let him live through suffering his own consequences. sigh</p>
<p>There might not be too many of you who have a store location for them to use the gift card. You could ship it to yourself, ship the cookie to your student and then use the gift card online yourself another time. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone. The update is that she called today ready to go into a tizzy but I was able to logically talk her down and give her some helpful suggestions. I honestly don’t know where I am getting this patience from except to say that 1) it’s my second time around (although my older daughter was not like this!) 2) I absolutely don’t want her coming home for so many reasons.</p>
<p>The good news is that we kept telling her that college is not like camp, she has much more freedom and can contact us whenever she likes. I think that because she did call for help and we were able to work some things out in a positive way she sees the increased freedom but still the support from her parents.</p>
<p>I know this will get better, I just need to live that long! </p>
<p>PN - we got my daughter an alarm clock that has a piece that goes under the pillow and shakes them awake in addition to the alarm. Hopefully that will help with her early classes!</p>
<p>Kudos to you, amtc! When she gets through the rough patch she will no doubt feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. And she will have learned that she is strong, capable and resilient. And she will have the knowledge that her family is there to help her through–but not out of–a difficult period. What a lucky young woman!</p>
<p>Amtc- my D gave us a similar experience. I truly feel for you. I also decided D would be ok since she did get out of the car. I hope your D continues to make progress. Two weeks in my D is doing pretty well with one backslide so far (she was unable to attend a family event - she’s too far away). I really wasn’t sure how the second kid would be- my first was easy.</p>
<p>amtc: ditto what other folks have said. Sounds so tough and you are handling the situation with much grace.</p>
<p>We Skyped with D last night. She’s applied to have a show on the college radio station and is checking out several outdoorsy-political-literary clubs. She reports that it’s easy to make friends at UVM as everybody’s open and friendly, and it’s more challenging to “find one’s intellectual community” but that she’s doing well on that front as it turns out most of her new friends are “Middlebury rejects.” She also reports that she is 0% homesick: “Mom, I’ve only been gone two weeks.” Heh. Love that girl.</p>
<p>Successful launch for D on Wednesday! She was SSOOOOOO excited to be going. Move-in was extremely easy because she already had her ID and room key which were issued before her pre-orientation trip so we drove up and were one of the first vans unloaded. 10 minutes to unload, 2 hours to get it all set up. Girls have SO much stuff!</p>
<p>I skipped the parent orientation because she is child 2 at this school and went to pick up light bulbs, a bath mat, more cute storage bins, and a case of water. Came back and went to the meet and greet her advisor/first year seminar prof. Several helicopter parent questions that he expertly answered but deflected. I was impressed.</p>
<p>Two text messages so far: I signed the book. (Each freshman signs a formal register acknowledging their matriculation.) Where is the spray and wash? (Uh, you didn’t want it, took tide to go instead.)</p>
<p>Hugs to you, amtc. You sound like the rock your daughter needs while she travels her new path.</p>
<p>{{{amtc}}} it will get better, and worse, and better…sounds like you suffered through an awful case of “pass the drama to the mama”</p>
<p>I also get my cyberstalking BINGO letter today. DD had callbacks last night (she was offered three but had to pick one group). No word last night or this morning. I am sure she is sleeping, but I am all wound up. So I cyberstalked the group’s facebook page and found her name listed as one of 4 new voices added to the group!! yay! This will make it a much better semester…</p>
<p>I’ve racked up all kinds of cyberstalking points. While my D and I aren’t friends on Facebook, her “activity” shows when you click on her profile, so I have checked out the profiles of her new friends, most of whom have the good sense to manage their profile settings so not too many photos can be seen, but their cover image choices are revealing.</p>
I’ll be sure to get my son on the stick already. </p>