Taking Care of Yourself

• Your feelings about the separation may be different than your spouse's but both of you are experiencing a major life change.
• Share your feelings with other experienced parents, partners, friends...anyone who will listen.
• Take up a new hobby... take a vacation after your student leaves home...read a book...get physical...do something for you!
• Anticipate what separation from your student will be like BEFORE that day.

Be Prepared

• Say good-bye before you even get to the dorm so the moment doesn't seem rushed and you can say what you want to say.
• Brace yourself for the changing of majors...the average is 3 - just so you know!
• Be prepared to hate seeing your student's room so clean.

Knowledge is Empowering

• Introduce yourself to residence hall advisors, hall directors, anyone wearing an EKU nametag that has contact with your student.
• Be aware of campus resources so you can recommend one to your student if needed. The Office of Student Affairs is able to discuss these resources with you. 
• Read the EKU student handbook so you know university policies and resources.
• Know a roommate's/friend's name and the names of their parents so you can reach out to your students support network.

Stay Connected: For You and for Your Student

• Communicate: Discuss ahead of time how you will communicate regularly with your student (e-mail, phone, letters, etc.).
• Find your best calling night (usually a Sunday) to talk with your student.  
• Send letters, texts, emails to your student about high school news, sports, and hometown trivia.
• Making and sending care packages that are really personal can be so much fun - like playing Santa (and often leads to a social gathering in your student's room).
• Don't be shy in communicating how much you miss your son or daughter but do refrain from emotionally unloading.
• If at all possible, attend Family Weekend, sponsored by EKU Parent and Family Programs. 
• Discuss good times for school visits...homecoming, basketball games, etc... and plan them.

Celebrate and Remember this Milestone: For Everyone

• Identify a ritual/ceremony that celebrates this rite of passage for your student and your family. An intimate visit to a favorite family vacation spot, a family party, or even a large neighborhood block party are some examples.
• Save the e-mails and bind them for that graduation party.
• Take lots of pictures...of their roommates...friends...packing...etc.
• Write a letter before they go off to school about how you feel about them, their leaving, their accomplishments, them growing up.