Yes…I think “it just makes things easier if we can see where we all are” is a more compelling argument for my kids than “but what if you’re dying in a ditch somewhere?!”
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Location sharing was absolutely needed when kids were in HS and terrible about texting me but I wanted to make sure they made it home when I was at work. S21 and S24 both keep it on but we recently had my parents and in-laws do it because we are now more concerned about keeping track of them.
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I have a lot of restless energy today. So I reorganized some stuff in the garage, decluttered the kids’ bathroom, and cleaned under the sinks in that bathroom, too. Finally throwing out the IKEA kids-style clothes hangers.
Bulk trash pick up starts Sunday of next weekend, so I’ve got D24’s old pink (lousy quality + she never used it) desk put out at the curb, along with a bunch of yard debris (bulk trash week is usually when I occasionally will trim the palo verde tree in our front yard so I can leave all of the branches right on the curb). Plus the broken ladder for the bunk beds will go out for bulk trash pick up, too.
My request to D24 is that for safety reasons, she lets someone know where she is going and how she is getting there and back - if she is heading off campus at night - and then lets that person know when she is back safe and sound. Doesn’t have to be us, but we are happy to be the ones to receive those texts.
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You guys inspired me, and I ended up baking one as well today. Very tasty!
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S24 is more than happy to have location sharing turned on. He is not great with texting back and now he will never get my texts that ask " Where are you?".
One week down with a full load of courses. Club sport tryouts this week. Things seems to be going ok so far but I think he is missing his GF a lot. In addition to adjusting to a new life and schedule he and she will have to figure out the long distance relationship.
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I got an update!!! 
He’s met a truly lovely young lady! A meet-cute right out of a rom-com. I adore her already even though I haven’t met her 
she’s apparently very studious. And now I really REALLY wish we lived close enough for a “…I just happened to be in the neighborhood driving by your dorm as one does and oh…who is THIS?”
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First, how exciting for your son!! Second, how wonderful that he shared this information with you! My son flat out refuses to discuss girls with me. At. All.
Yesterday, we actually got a lot of information from S24 because he happened to call our house when we had his best friend’s parents over. His friend’s mom jumped on the phone and he answered all of her questions! It was fun 
I had a lengthy text exchange with D24 while she was working on an assignment for her freshman seminar and she seems to be really into the class! It’s funny. I get lots of academic updates from her and lots of information about her professors and what she is studying, but nothing on academics from S24 except classes are “fine” and professors are “good.” I guess that’s positive, but he definitely more enthusiastic about the social side of college.
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STUDIOUS! I adore her too already
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Re: location sharing.
We have all always shared location on our iPhones. In general, the whole time D20 has been away at school, I would generally only look at it in the morning when I got up, to make sure she was home, or somewhere that seemed reasonable (and not pinging randomly in some less than desirable part of the city). I rarely every look anymore at her location.
But.
I am on a different level of surveillance with D24 and it is not good. I really need to stop looking so often and then creating narratives in my head about why she is where she is (example: she’s in her dorm room on a Saturday afternoon! Clearly she is alone and has no friends and is probably crying her lonely heart out). I’m my own worst enemy. D20 was home last week and overheard H and I obsessively tracking D24’s whereabouts and was like, “Do you guys do this with me, too?” So, my goal for this week is to allow myself to check location only first thing in the morning and last thing before I go to bed.
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We never used Life360 or any other kind of location sharing with our kids. Since S24 is overseas, we’ve gone a bit cold turkey beyond basic updates, which might be an unexpected blessing in this case.
I do know he traveled this past weekend to a different country, and I kept reminding myself of all the work we put in to do our best to raise smart, capable young adults. It’s his time to fly the nest and our time to let him actually go.
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We only use location sharing when someone is traveling or further out on their own. S22 will put his one when he drops me off at the airport so I know he gets back okay, for example.
S22 kind of drives me nuts with his lack of response. D24 texts me about everything! Lol. It’s total opposite. I kind of wish she texted a little less and figured things out herself a little more. But it’ll get there.
I’m going to visit both of them in a couple weeks and I’m making a pile of the things she wants me to bring to her. Shocking - she needs more shirts. I convinced her to bring a few more than she had planned, but she still needs 2-3 more. And then a bunch of random things. I’m excited to see her and how it’s going.
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Just a reminder to have your kid request a mail in ballot if studying out of state, if they haven’t already. (Or register to vote if they need to.)
I had D24 fill out the application for a mail-in ballot a week before she left, but now it’s a bit of a waiting game to see if everything is ok. We live in a state that has made it significantly more difficult to vote by mail (and last year tried to pass laws prohibiting polling places specifically on college campuses), so I made sure to review it before she mailed it in.
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Our D24 won’t discuss anything about dating life either. However, I trust her not to do anything dumb. In good news, she got into a competitive club by audition—and it’s one that completely negates the bad vibes from the mean girl from high school. I’m relieved and less worried! The one thing I think is going to be an adjustment for her is “close reading” of the kind that we English profs teach. I always thought that her AP courses in high school encouraged very fast and superficial reading. We’ll see how she feels about deep analysis! 
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Ha!
D24 has much of the same challenge, because her program is hyper focused on reading and critical writing in 15 person seminars, so that every student gets one on one feedback. She is reading Augustine’s Confessions now and her response was: “I understand what he is saying, it’s just objectively bad writing!” It seems she is uninterested in his accounting of the grave sins of his youth.
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Meanwhile, C24 told me the other day that their classes have a lot of reading, but it’s ok because [freshman seminar prof] taught them how to skim." Apparently no deep analysis going on yet…
As for location services, I’ll admit I used Find My a lot in the first two days, and now maybe once or twice a week just to get a sense of where C24 is. But then again, the only places I know on campus are their dorm, the dining hall and the quad. So it’s not actually knowledge that gives me meaningful info. It just kind of makes me feel reassured/connected to know, even roughly, where they are. (I will never tell C24 about this).
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D24 turned 18 last Friday. It was hard to be apart! I was so worried about her being lonely but she said “a few girls” were going to plan a dinner out. Later that night we got an adorable picture of a table of 10 (!) out at an Italian restaurant. The waiter brought cake, they all sang, and THEN an alumni couple nearby picked up the check!!
I think they will all remember the evening for a long time and I hope be inspired to “pay it forward”.
D24 had such a lonely senior year because of our long distance move. I am thrilled and relieved that she is making connections. Quite teary also, but keeping that to myself 
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So talked with S24, things are generally going well, but S24 learned his roommate at least sometimes sleeps in the nude, thanks to a sheet that slipped.
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100% this!! The kids want to vote but it might not be top of mind. Excellent to get on top of it – and remind your friends to be sure their kids do, too.
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