By now, scores of recent Laguna Beach High School graduates have begun taking their freshman college classes. For many parents in town, this is nervous time. Will their little princess fit in? Will their prince pass his first test? You get the idea.
For the students, their concerns are a bit different. They are asking themselves if they picked the right college or university to attend, or if they should declare a major now or wait a year or two. No matter how you slice and dice it, communication is the key to surviving freshman year. This is true for both the students as well as their parents.
With this thought in mind, here’s a tip (mom and dad) how to connect with your newly-departed teenager: After sending numerous texts and emails, or after leaving several voicemail messages, I finally figured out how to get my guy, who was going to school hundreds of miles from home, to respond. Not that I’m proud of what I did, but I have to tell you, it was effective.
Mail your daughter or son a greeting card with this message: “Did you get the check I sent you?” I guarantee you will receive a call or email reply faster than you can say, “How’s college life?” How you react is your business. All I know is it works.
Like many parents, I read virtually every book I could find about rearing young children and/or surviving those awkward early teenage years. Unfortunately, I missed the ones about sending your pride and joy off to college (if there are any). So, while my handy-dandy, sure-fire way to get my son to send a text or call from his college dorm may not win a Pulitzer, don’t think less of me.
If you are a parent today, whose daughter or son has recently left for college, relax and enjoy the fact that you launched your princess or prince. That, in itself, is worth celebrating. You’ll have much to talk about with your freshman when the time comes.
Denny Freidenrich lives in Laguna Beach. He is the proud father of three adult children.
