The Happiest Kid On Campus

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Andrea Cooper Have been really having a hard time.

I knew it would be really hard when my daughter left for school, and boy has it.  She had just started dating a long time friend be for she left and now she has him to talk to, so she doesn't call or text me.  It has beenawhile and I still just really miss her. When she does come home she runs out to his house to see him.  I know it sounds silly, but I feel so left out. I am starting to come around, I mean, this is what I always wanted for her, right? So why am I fighting it? I…

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Added by Andrea Cooper on October 13, 2011 at 6:41pm — No Comments

Karen J 72 Hours and Out

Although our son was fairly excited on visits to the campus when he selected his college, in the past 4 months he did little to prepare and was less than excited about going right up until the day he left.  We had several 'talks' over the past 4 months telling him that he had time to change direction if his needs had changed and we asked him what he 'wanted' to do - and each time it was "I don't know."  We helped move our son into his dorm on Saturday - and within an hour of our leaving he…

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Added by Karen J on August 24, 2011 at 12:23am — 2 Comments

Bonnie Listening to John Denver

I was in my car, listening to John Denver. If you need an emotional release before your child has left, John Denver will help the tears flow.

 

Added by Bonnie on August 10, 2011 at 3:24pm — 2 Comments

Denise Mann When your first baby leaves the nest . . . .

When it's all happening (when your child is growing up) it seems like a long, long bumpy road.  But when you get there and realize he's moving away to college, those 18 years seem like the blink of an eye!  Wasn't I just sending out birth announcements?  Now graduation invitations?

 

 I remember (like it was yesterday) meeting my 9-pound newborn for the first time.  I likened him to a shiny new penny, fresh from the mint.  I was afraid for him in a world that might tarnish him.…

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Added by Denise Mann on July 4, 2011 at 1:30pm — 6 Comments

Holly Cook I miss....

I miss Parent/Teacher conferences.

I miss carving pumpkins.

I miss the great debate about Halloween costumes.

I miss 5 finger turkeys made with colorful construction paper feathers.

I miss the scent of Elmer's Glue.

I miss making Indian vests out of paper grocery bags.

I miss making book covers.

I miss Toaster Strudels in the morning.

I miss the juice bottle always being empty in the morning.

I miss science projects.

I miss the excitement and the build up… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on November 4, 2010 at 11:52am — 4 Comments

Holly Cook I was right.

My radar did not fail me. I knew something was up. My son is sick, for the first time since he's been away. You know how I found out? Facebook. He posted that he was sick. He didn't call me first, he didn't text me, he just posted his status on Facebook. Had I not checked Facebook, I probably still wouldn't know. I read that status and nearly fell apart....nearly. Big breath.... I realized that I had given him everything I possibly could to take care of himself. I had prepared him for this… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on October 13, 2010 at 1:39pm — No Comments

Holly Cook My radar

Is it ok that I'm worried for no good reason? My "Mom radar" went off. I wasn't entirely sure what it was until I walked down the hallway and passed my son's bedroom. I expected him to be in there. It's been nearly 2 months and I was totally caught off guard by the fact that I expected him to be in there. Took the breath out of me. When it hit me that I was actually walking down the hall to check on him, I realized my "Mom radar" was going off. Something was up. I texted my son and he said he's… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on October 13, 2010 at 7:41am — No Comments

Holly Cook Amazing weekend

A wonderful weekend. My son called earlier in the week to ask for groceries. A first, I might add. We have told him if he needed anything, he should just ask. Of course, he didn't for the first few weeks, so this phone call asking for groceries was a very nice surprise. Since we live only an hour away from his college, we made plans for Saturday. I was excited to see him. I made sure I had cash to sneak into his wallet and off we went. What a wonderful day we had. We went to lunch and listened… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on October 11, 2010 at 4:25pm — No Comments

Holly Cook The dreaded phone call finally came.

I knew it was coming. I knew it was just a matter of time. Stress, new routines, new expectations, living away from home, new schedule...even new water finally got the best of my son and he called. Not at 3:00 in the morning, as I expected. No, the phone call came at 5:15 in the afternoon, while thinking about what to make for dinner. It was so unexpected that when I answered the phone it never occurred to me he was struggling. Of course, it only took 2 seconds for me to figure it out! Then,… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on September 28, 2010 at 7:26pm — 3 Comments

Harlan Cohen TIP OF THE WEEK: Homesickness (a.k.a. Homelonging)

HOMESICKNESS



"According to the Higher Education Research Institute, 65.1 percent of college students reported feeling some sort of homesickness. That’s a lot of homesick students. This number is big, and it’s gotten bigger over the past several years. Forget the flu—homesickness the first year in college is an epidemic. If your kid isn’t getting homesick, he or she is in the minority. Knowing that homesickness is normal should help you be… Continue

Added by Harlan Cohen on September 24, 2010 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

Holly Cook Our relationship is changing. It's painful.

My son's birthday was Tuesday. Our first "celebration" apart. I was having a hard time with it, and thought about driving down to see him to surprise him. This really should not have been a difficult decision, but I was going back and forth about it. Am I intruding? Should I call him and ask him if it's ok? Is it ok that I just show up? Then I thought, "I'm the Mom. This shouldn't be a difficult thing to decide!" It was at that moment that I realize our relationship has changed and it's… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on September 16, 2010 at 2:55pm — 5 Comments

Holly Cook Healthy Balance? I'm not a granola bar...

Ah, yes, the question of "how ARE you?" Empty nest? I don't know, I'm not a bird. I mean, when the babies leave the nest, so do the moms. There is no momma bird wandering around the nest wondering what to do. She does what she is supposed to do. She gets on with life. Easier said than done I admit. But, being that I'm not a bird, I imagine my process will be different.



I have many favorite people in my life that I go to for advice. The majority have been through this process already,… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on September 13, 2010 at 8:20pm — No Comments

Harlan Cohen TIP OF THE WEEK: Talk About Talking Sooner Rather Than Later

TALK ABOUT TALKING



"Talk about expectations before anyone is irritated, annoyed, or too afraid to be honest. A lot of parents don’t want to talk expectations, because they don’t want to be restricted. It’s giving up control. Just acknowledging this means giving your child permission to place restrictions on you and the level of communication. If you’re a parent who finds the idea of checking… Continue

Added by Harlan Cohen on September 13, 2010 at 10:00am — No Comments

Holly Cook The black hole in my stomach.

Let me preface this by saying I have never, ever blogged before! I'm a blog virgin, if you will. Honestly, the only reason I'm even doing this is because I have no where else to "put this stuff". Thank goodness for Harlan. So...

I'm a freshman Mom. My son is my only and has never even spent the night away from home before, so moving him into a dorm was really daunting for me. I was totally prepared for the middle of the night phone call, but it never came. I was totally prepared for the… Continue

Added by Holly Cook on September 10, 2010 at 3:42pm — 8 Comments

Harlan Cohen TIP OF THE WEEK: Encourage Them to Find Three Places On Campus (one just isn't enough)

CREATING A WORLD OF OPTIONS:



"Encourage your child to find three activities or organizations that will allow him or her to find three different groups of friends. Having more than one group of friends means living in a world of options. If one group of friends makes stupid choices, it’s easier to not make the same stupid choice if you have other friends. Students make friends by participating in shared… Continue

Added by Harlan Cohen on September 2, 2010 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Harlan Cohen TIP OF THE WEEK: Getting Comfortable With The Uncomfortable

SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND:



"What seems to get lost in the midst of all the changes is that no matter how much faster, better, and more beautiful it is on campus, life is uncomfortable at times. It’s a natural and normal part of living. It’s the uncomfortable moments in life that are gifts that lead us to the richest, most meaningful moments. A student who isn’t allowed the room to feel uncomfortable never… Continue

Added by Harlan Cohen on August 24, 2010 at 4:19pm — No Comments

Harlan Cohen Happiest Kid On Campus Featured in USA TODAY

Thrilled to be included in USA TODAY. Here's an excerpt and link to story:



Taking a cue from the ever-popular What to Expect When You're Expecting series, Harlan Cohen uses a similar perky approach in his user-friendly The Happiest Kid on Campus. The funny part, despite the "happiest kid"…

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Added by Harlan Cohen on August 18, 2010 at 4:30pm — 4 Comments

Harlan Cohen TIP OF THE WEEK: When You Drop Them Off...

Love this advice:



“You say good-bye the following way—even if you’re sad, your job is to make sure your student is left on campus with dignity. A kiss and a hug good-bye, and then you turn away. If you leave overemotional, your student will be more worried about you than about how to take advantage of their first day on campus.”



—Bill…
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Added by Harlan Cohen on August 17, 2010 at 1:30pm — 4 Comments

Harlan Cohen Naked Roommate's First Year Survival Workbook



Hi Parents -

The Naked Roommate's First Year Survival Workbook is now available. The Naked Roommate's First Year Survival Workbook is designed to be a companion to The Naked Roommate book.…
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Added by Harlan Cohen on August 17, 2010 at 11:52am — No Comments

Kim Brunnert Importance oF FAFSA

Helping high school students with the FAFSA could make the difference to whether they'll consider college, whether they'll go, and other issues (like funding). I know there are other studies out there that talk about more of these details but I don't have time to look right now. Here's one link. (Writing this now in the hopes that everyone reading will encourage EVERY high school student you come in contact with to do their FAFSA even if they need to ask for help to do so.)…

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Added by Kim Brunnert on August 4, 2010 at 1:45pm — No Comments

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