Part of every parent may be thrilled to have his or her children home for the holiday break – but it’s perfectly normal to be a bit nervous about the reunion as well. This will be the first extended period of time you will likely have spent with your student since the summer and it can be an adjustment for both parties.
Keep the following points in mind to manage this transition in a positive way:
Don’t over-commit your student.
You may be inclined to plan an action-packed couple of weeks of bonding time and catching up with your child (shopping, visiting relatives, biking, road trip, etc.) – but restrain yourself from overwhelming him or her. There’s nothing wrong with making a few plans but make sure to leave plenty of time for your student to spend with friends and just relax from the past semester.
Make any commitments known before he or she gets home.
Before picking your child up from the airport/bus station/ferry terminal, let him or her know what to expect in terms of holiday plans that have already been made. This respectful way of communicating plans will both make your child feel like a part of the family while still feeling like his or her time is his or her own, too.
Find out your student’s personal (and maybe new) schedule.
Many students are in the habit of staying up until 2:00a.m. and sleeping until noon every day. You may want to find out what your child’s sleeping schedule is so you’re not expecting him or her up at 8:00a.m. every morning.
Talk about the house rules.
Will your child still have a curfew? Are friends allowed to spend the night? What about boyfriends and girlfriends? Discuss these rules together with your child to avoid arguments and before they get home so there’s no surprises.
Be prepared for change.
Some of your student’s world views and ideologies may have changed because of ideas she or he learned in a class or events experienced through a campus organization. It’s all part of the university experience as your student comes into his or her own – change can be a good thing, so be open to it.