D23 brought her social security card so she could work. We kept her passport at home. She was born outside the US and replacing her passport is a huge pain.
Replacing her SS card would be too but I figured you can always use a passport instead and the opposite isn’t the case.
As an FYI, D22 has had two in person jobs and two paid internships (one in person and one remote) since leaving for college. She has not needed to present a physical SS or any physical documentation for any of them. Instead, I have had to do a live zoom meeting with the employer in two cases and paperwork in the other two cases. I can’t remember exactly how it worked, but basically I had to testify that I had seen the correct documents. On the other hand, she has her passport because she traveled out of the country last year. To be honest, given how scattered brained she is, I would prefer that she leave everything at home with me. However, I suppose that at some point you have to trust that your twenty year old who was smart enough to get into college is also smart enough to hold onto important documentation.
She did need it, although maybe I could have done the zoom, I don’t think that occurred to her.
I’m making this comment to bump my previous post upthread.
Just a reminder that incoming freshmen should get their Meningitis B vaccines. Your kid has probably NOT had this shot already.
It’s different than the Meningitis ACWY vaccine that most of your kids have likely had already. Those were the serogroups that previously sickened students the most, so that vaccine is often required in high schools and colleges.
Nowadays, Meningitis B is the dominant serogroup, but vaccine requirements haven’t caught up to that change. Some colleges require the Men B vaccine, but most don’t.
This disease isn’t super common, but it can kill otherwise healthy people VERY fast.
If they get the first dose of Bexsero soon, they can get the second dose 1 month later, or during a break. They can probably also get the shot at their college student health center if you can’t get it at home before they leave.
Call their pediatrician or your local health department to schedule their first dose today.
D24 announced yesterday that she needs a new pair of flip flops before we depart for college. Ok, kiddo, go on Amazon and buy some yourself. Welcome to adulthood! 
Meanwhile, I got some stink eye in return.
This weekend or next, I’m taking her shopping to buy a business casual outfit that she could wear to job interviews (she already has a business formal outfit for such occasions also). D24 thought that wearing jeans would be business casual. LOL. Um, no. Jeans are for ‘dress down’ days at an office, not regular business casual wear, kiddo. More stink eye from that.
Parents on the college’s Facebook group are starting to post more. A lot of questions about room dimensions. I don’t understand what the big deal is about room dimensions, but I’m probably old school with all of that. 
1 of D24’s core crew of BFFs has ghosted her & the others in the friend group. Has totally gone silent, not responding to messages or phone calls or anything. D24 & her other friends are disappointed and frustrated. It’s never easy when this sort of thing happens. But it does happen to everybody at some point.
Yeah, my general feeling about that question is if I have to ask, I should not be bringing whatever that is.
That said, we did have to research what size gaming monitor the kids thought would actually fit on the standard desk. So that is where S24’s head is at, and meanwhile I am reconsidering all those 529 contributions over the years.
Our S24 got the Meningitis B vaccine this week. It was recommended by the doctor when he went for his physical before going to college.
Y’all, our dog is having a nervous breakdown and we think it’s all the packing! He generally tends to be anxious but the past few days he has been hiding and refuses to come out. We took him to the vet and physically, he seems perfectly fine, just a trembling anxious mess. Who would have thought that the dog would be prescribed Prozac due to the stress of launching kids from the nest?? 
@southernfemmom - our dog freaks out when we are packing to go on a trip! She gets super clingy, won’t leave our side, etc. I can’t imagine what she’ll do when our D24 leaves - ughhhhhh
Our dog does the same when he sees suitcases and boxes.
He was pitiful for the first week our D was gone. He would wander in her room and just whine until someone picked him up to show him her bed was empty. (He’s too little to see or jump up). He did eventually get used to the comings and goings.
THANK YOU for this PSA. I cannot stress enough the dangers of Men B. My friend’s child almost died earlier this year (high schooler). It came on very suddenly- started with headache and fever and within a couple hours they were in ER and got medflighted to a major hospital. One week in the ICU, almost died and has some sequelae…
My S24 was vaccinated for Men B but back in 2021 and it only lasts from 1-2 years if you read the CDC info. So we just had him call and get another booster. The ped was reluctant but went ahead and vaccinated him. We feel much better knowing he has protection.
Anyway, really hoping more people understand the importance of this vaccine.
Mine had the first dose at a well visit in June, but I was realizing I hadn’t heard anything about the booster, so called on that and they are getting it done just before she goes. I remember a girl in my grade school dying of meningitis, and a girl from our community died at college in the not distant past (parents do fundraisers/awareness now) so it was always on the radar to get.
Also, my own school does flu shots every year for students that want one, which is good info to look for for students. (In general, make sure your kids know about their campus health center! And counseling center, even when there are huge shortages for counselors, I have been able to walk a student over to ours for an emergency same day mental health visit, which is invaluable.)
So D moved in yesterday and I spent the night in the hotel alone and am heading home now. 
It was fine. I’m fine. But D was the DJ on our drives and I’ll miss that on the ride home.
Men B vaccine is certainly
Important but it is a low efficacy vaccine and Men B is very very rare. Much more important to have your kids get their flu vaccine and to make sure they are UTD with their dtap since pertussis is rampant at colleges. Lastly if anyone has never had a COVID vaccine there are multiple outbreaks each year at colleges and although severe disease is now rare it can be an awful illness.
We still have over two weeks until move-in day for S24. Third time around, and I’m the laziest parent ever about dorm stuff. As long as he has clothes, a blanket, and a toothbrush, Amazon can bring anything he forgets! I almost ordered a set of sheets from Target the other day, then went up and checked my oldest kid’s recently vacated room (he moved to Denver last week!) and found 2 twin XL sheets in there. So far we’ve bought a shower caddy and nothing else.
Same here. I am looking across to the dining room at a duffle bag of older sibling’s leftover college stuff. I plan to sort out what my S24 could take with him (like the tool box); it just needs a modicum of reorganization. I am so unmotivated and move in is still five weeks away (quarter system). Plenty of time. There are three collapsable mesh shower caddies in the hall closet upstairs.
I also found an extra shower caddy in his brother’s room. But his OTHER brother (starting junior year) says he needs it–apparently his went missing somehow.
Me, thinking out loud: Maybe we should get you a handheld vacuum when we get there. And a new backpack because your current one is impractical and has terrible straps. Just in case.
S24: But I thought you said “less is more.”
Yes, yes I did say that.
Indeed, this will hopefully be the easiest move in ever, after having BTDT so many times. First request will be a text around Oct 1, something like “I need pants.”
It’s happening, guys. It’s really happening. We’re leaving town at 6:45 am tomorrow. I already have plans to deploy NiceUnparticularMan’s signature cocktail when we return tomorrow night. The Empty Nest is imminent!
Thinking of you today and looking forward to hearing how it went! She will thrive! You’ve got this! 
