How Prepared is your Child for their Move to University?

Photo by Dom Fou on Unsplash

{This post is a collaboration with BBC TVL, but all thoughts and experiences are my own}

Isn't it funny how the same day can be both one of the best and also one of the saddest days of your life? It really is bittersweet sometimes and I'm trying hard to remain optimistic and focus on the good things but equally, I know I need to acknowledge my grief, and that might sound over the top but that is what it is for me. I am mourning the end of an era. This summer my near-19-year-old JJ headed off to the University of Bristol to read Maths. 

He's worked hard to go there and he certainly deserves to be there after achieving four A* results in his A Levels but I'm going to miss him so much. I adore my firstborn, we have always had such fun together and now he is 175 miles away, so I'll probably only see him a few times a year. What a contrast this will be to the daily time we have spent together for the last nineteen years.  

I got him to make me a playlist for the car, so I can feel as if he is still sitting next to me on our shared journey to work for me and college for him, but I'll miss his baritone tunes. I suspect Imagine Dragons will feature strongly in my car journeys for a while as I try to remain close to him. But that's enough Mich, I don't want to be downcast, I need to look on the bright side. Parents are here to raise their children to be independent and to go off and live their best lives whilst being good citizens and remembering the greater good. I don't think my husband and I have done too badly at all with JJ. We are both very proud of him and all he has achieved so far.

He's certainly been thorough with his preparation for the big move and had a uni checklist in play from early on, which was reassuring to me. In fact, it was as if a switch had been flipped about a year ago, he downloaded an app (todoist) to help him stay on track and know what tasks needed doing and when. I laughed at him at first as he was very specific with what he added, down to remembering to brush his teeth and put on deodorant, but it turned out to be a great way to establish some really useful and healthy habits. He now remembers to take a brisk walk each day and to change his bed once a week, without any prompting from me!

Some of his preparation was to do advance reading before he got to university and he even had some online tutoring over the summer to help him with topics that he had either yet to encounter, or he had struggled a little with. It's very easy to find a suitable tutor for all levels of study by looking on Tutor Hunt.

Looking After Your Family When they Fly the Nest

Photo by Victoria Heath on Unsplash

{This is a collaborative post}

Having your child begin the next chapter of their life by going to University or College is a significant life change for everyone in the family. Although they have left the nest, they will always be your child, and you will want to look after them. There's lots of preparation for sending them to college/university, but how do you take care of them once they have gone?  

Learn About the Student Support Services   

Moving away from home for the first time, beginning independent study and having to start from scratch making new friends can all be very stressful and demanding experiences. There will be struggles, and as a parent, your first instinct is to give them a cuddle and sort out the problem. This can be hard when they are potentially hundreds of miles away.  

  

But you can research the support available to them there and be ready to offer solutions. Every university or college will have a dedicated student support service. Reading up on what they can do and the policies they have in place is a great way to look after your child and something you can do online. This includes student mental health support, academic support, and knowing where to call for a doctor's appointment. 

Send them Care Boxes   

Another way to still look after them is by sending a care box in the post. This is a great way to look after them from a distance, and even if they are not too far from home, it's an excellent way to take care of your child whilst still giving them independence.  

 

It's entirely up to you what you include in the care package. Still, items you know they are likely not thinking about or not a priority on a student budget are great—for example, spices and seasonings, vitamins, nice toiletries and materials for their hobbies and interests. Of course, always include a card or a little note from home as well. 

 

Prepare for Summer Storage 

It's great if you can drive and pick your child up for the summer holidays, but all their stuff might not comfortably fit in the car with them! Therefore even if you are close by, storing belongings for a couple of months could be the best solution.  

 

Sorting out storage can be one of the most stressful tasks for a student, especially as many need to be thinking about moving out for the summer break during a busy exam period. However, you can help them by looking at the available student storage options and finding the one that best fits their needs.  

Recognise what has Changed when they Return  

Depending on their accommodation type, your child may have been living away from home, entirely independently for the year. 

 

Don't expect them to be on the same schedule as they were. Give them options to cook for themselves if they wish (although they may be craving some of mum's home cooking as well) and give them more independence outside the house.   

 

Give them space by leaving the house; just because your baby has come home does not mean they need you every waking minute. Taking some space and continuing your life as usual benefits both of you and will make the transition far easier when they leave again.  

 

Final Thoughts   

Going to University or College is a big life change for your child and you. The best way to support them through this big step is by keeping the channels of communication open and being there when they need you.

It's almost Graduation Time - Planning your Senior Invitations

Photo by Logan Isbell on Unsplash

{This is a collaborative post}

Graduation is an important and exciting time for every young person. It is the time when you come together with all your friends and classmates to celebrate the hard work you have put in and (hopefully) the great results you leave with. You invite your close family to watch as you stand before them and proudly accept your certificate and shake the principles hand.

I've graduated three times here in the UK, the first from my Higher National Diploma, age 20, the second from my Ba degree conversion at age 21 and most recently from my Masters in 2007 at the age of 34. Each of these has been very proud days for me and I've been able to share them with my close family, as well as partying with my friends afterwards.

In the USA young people graduate from High School at around age 18 and this is the same age our young people leave college but there is no celebration or farewell for that stage here in the UK. My JJ is just finishing school now at age 16 and he should have a prom in June, but of course, coronavirus is making it unlikely that will happen. I think this is really sad for all the young people who have worked so hard and now cannot take their exams, nor attend prom to celebrate their successes.

For this reason, I was stoked to discover Basic Invite, a company that offers every type of invitation and announcement card you could possibly need and in so many stunning designs. Senior invitations are exactly what I need for JJ, as I can send these to friends and family far and wide to shout out how proud I am that he had graduated from school and will be starting college in the fall.

How to Prepare Your Teenager for College/ University

Image Credit: Pixabay

 {This is a collaborative post}

We all know teenagers have their moments, they can be a delight one minute and difficult to talk to the next. Being aware of your own style of communication is key, if you’re too forceful then you may be ignored or pushed back, and if you are too soft then you might not give them the motivation they need.

When broaching the subject of college or university however, there are a few things that you can do to keep the lines of communication open, and the parental relationship on sound terrain!

1.      Start the Conversation Early

Of course you want to help your teen consider which college or university might be right for them, and it is best to start this conversation earlier than you might think. The sooner you start the conversation, the less time pressure there is and the easier it is for them to adjust to the idea of potentially leaving home and becoming more independent.

You can ask around your friends for good experiences their older children have had, and collect some prospectuses for them. if your child has one of those rosielovescake@hotmail.co.uk kind of email address then it is probably a good idea, to help them to set up a new more professional email address. Then encourage them to independently email colleges for the information they require.

So, Your Child Wants To Be A High School Teacher?

Teacher Image by Syda Productions, from Shutterstock 

One of the biggest decisions your child will have to make in their life is what they are going to do in terms of a career. This can seem like such a huge decision for any child, but you can help to make it easier. One of the ways you can do this is by helping them to truly understand the job role that they are considering, as well as what is going to be needed in order to go down that career path. With that being said, if your child has decided that he or she wants to be a high school teacher, read on to discover how you can help them truly decide if this is the right option for them.

Start by helping your child understand what is going to be expected of them as a teacher 

There is only one place to begin, and this is by discussing the day-to-day responsibilities your child will have as a secondary school teacher. A lot of children do not fully understand what they are going to be doing aside from the lessons themselves. However, teaching involves so much more than just running lessons. It includes all the following too:

• Participating in and organising extracurricular activities, for example, sporting events, social activities, and outings.
• Supporting and supervising the work of teaching assistants, as well as teachers that have only just become qualified.
• Liaising with other professionals, from educational psychologists to career’s advisers.
• Communicating with carers and parents regarding the progress of the pupils.
• Undertaking pastoral duties, for example, supporting pupils through any difficulties and taking on the role of form tutor.
• Managing classroom behaviour.
• Preparing pupils for their exams.
• Using a broad variety of learning equipment and resources, including interactive whiteboards and podcasts.
• Researching different subject topics.
• Marking assignments and giving feedback.
• Prepare and deliver lessons to pupils of a variety of abilities and ages.

Meeting up After 14 Years! #R2BC

What a fantastic weekend I had last week. I just want to do it all again but alas that won't be possible for some years yet.

Fourteen years ago I got married and all my wonderful Uni girlfriends were there by my side and one of them was my bridesmaid, having surprised me by making the trip from New Zealand without my knowledge that she was doing so. It was truly awesome.

#TheGallery - Comedy Teenage Hair

This weeks theme at the Gallery is hair and I thought it was only fair to share some of my teenage comedy moments at University!

With nothing to do (obviously!) Mich and J decide to create a very strange hair style!

On holiday with M, the bunches look seems to have arrived - WTF  or should I say 'Peace Man'.  I am pretty sure I did not really go out looking like that!

Oh I missed a trick last week, how well would this have gone down for the education theme? So here we have the back to school party.  1 good school girl and 2 naughty ones!

and just to show that I did not always have strange hair at Uni, here is a more normal picture of me, ready for a night out.  It makes me smile to realise this is 19 years ago and I still really have the same hair style!

In case you wondering where my penchant for comedy hair comes from, you just have to meet my dad, aka Tin Tin!