Last week we discussed some of the emotions endured by parents sending a child to college. Let us move onto to that hormone driven, sometimes defiant, and often stressed teenager, leaving the nest.

Homesickness is, to some degree experienced by many freshman college students.  If your young adult makes that call “Mom & Dad, I want to come home”, just tell them you have already painted or rented the room. NO, NO just kidding!  We would advise that you try to avoid Mom and Dad to the rescue. Instead encourage them, let them know these feelings are normal and to give this new phase in their life a little time. Suggest that many of the other freshmen students are feeling the same. A good way to deal with being homesick is for the student to participate in activities the school offers. Also, scheduling telephone calls and using e-mail or texting will be helpful throughout the adjustment period. Many colleges have counselors on campus to assist the new student with problems they experience adjusting to college life.

Another call you don’t want to receive from your new college student is “send money fast, don’t ask why, just send it.” Yes, your teenager is about to feel independence. Mom and Dad won’t be there to look over their shoulder, demand a curfew, or to give daily guidance. They will be making many of their own decisions, and hopefully you’ve prepared them in taking the steps towards adulthood. Remind your young adult that their goals and objectives will require some self-discipline on their part. Our children will certainly make their share of mistakes, but haven’t we all. At some point your young adult will develop some life and problem solving skills that can serve them well in the future.

Don’t overlook some of the details your new student will be dealing with for the first time. BEWARE credit cards, their use and misuse. When my eldest went to college there were numerous credit card vendors lining up to gladly extend credit and give gifts to incoming freshman. The Credit Card Accountability & Responsibility Disclosure Act, February 2010, now restricts credit card companies from playing on students’ lack of knowledge, and banks have stricter approval policies for students under 21. Students must show proof of income or have a co-signer to obtain a credit card. Banks still market to students and parents alike, and this illustrates the importance of having “that talk” and making sure they understand some boundaries.

Budgeting your child’s expenses, reviewing check book procedures, and paying bills, especially if they have never dealt with these matters will help them understand what will be required of them and their contribution to paying for college. The student having some skin in the game can aid the maturing process, keeping them focused on the goal at hand which is education and a career this education will bring them.

We sincerely hope some of the information we have written will be of value, and we’ve touched on some of the key points that we personally have experienced. As your child prepares to leave home, you’ll probably always have questions about having done your job properly in preparing them to face the world on their own. Your child is learning to become an adult, and they are on a new path taking the journey to find their rightful place in a challenging world. Hang on and support them during this rite of passage.