It has been a long journey, and now your child has finished high school! If their next destination is college, you might be starting to freak out just a little bit. Don’t worry, we got you covered.
Collegeboxes has decades of experience when it comes to helping students get settled on move-in day. We know all the things students forget and what they wish they brought. Most importantly, we know how to get all their belongings delivered safely.
Helping your child get through move-in day is a delicate dance. You don’t want to overstep their boundaries, but hey, you need to get stuff done! We have seen it all before, and we came up with a few college move-in day tips for parents.
Take a Step Back
It can feel almost instinctual to hold on tight before your child leaves for college. But you are going to have to start letting go. You are entering a new stage of your relationship, so you need to be able to adapt!
For many students, college is their first glimpse of true freedom. They are going to be view themselves as adults, because they are! While they still need your help and guidance, you can’t be too overbearing with your opinions.
Don’t get us wrong, college move-in day emotions are real! But try to be careful with how you phrase your opinions and don’t get too emotional. Make sure you focus on uplifting your child rather than getting caught up in your feelings.
Have a Flexible Gameplan
You can plan all you like, but when you’re working with a young adult, you need to expect the unexpected. Chances are, something is bound to pop up, fall to the side, or get forgotten completely. Instead of getting upset, try to do your best and adapt to the situation.
This is a great way to model good problem-solving behavior for your child. They are going to experience quite a few stressful situations in college. Being able to show them how you handle obstacles with calmness and grace, they’ll be sure to learn from that.
Also, try to figure out how long parents stay on move-in day. You may not have a lot of time to work with, so make sure you set yourself up for success before you get there.
Keep Important Dates in Mind
There are a whole lot of dates to keep track of before college starts. Your child is going to be juggling a million things, so you may have to step in and remember the important stuff.
Sometimes trying to get a straight answer from your child is like pulling teeth. But try to work with them and write down all the significant dates for this process.
Before your child can move into the dorms, they’ll have a lot to do. They need to apply for financial aid, attend orientation, and even select their classes. That is a pretty important list to get through before school starts. Once you get that sorted out, make sure you and your child are aware of when move-in day is.
You should expect your child to keep track of these dates themselves. But you may have to nudge them a little if you notice that the deadlines are coming up. Remember, don’t be overbearing, but be reliable. At least try to protect them from any catastrophic slipups before they start the school year.
Show Them the Ropes
Does your child know how to do laundry? If the answer is no, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. But it is important to teach them these skills before they leave the nest. It can be embarrassing for students to ask for help. Especially when it comes to tasks that it seems like everyone else knows how to do.
Instead of leaving them to figure it out themself, give them the life skills crash course before they go! They won’t know it now, but they will be thanking you later. Plus, it’s a great way to spend some quality time together before they move to campus.
Don’t Let Them Procrastinate
Your child is probably hot off the heels of high school graduation. So, they may be more interested in enjoying their summer rather than preparing for the fall. Don’t let them fall into this trap!
How soon you should start planning will depend on a variety of factors. Planning a month before move-in helps you iron out all the small details. Especially if you are planning on shipping items, hiring moving help, or even cross country. Luckily, there’s a certain student shipping and storage service that can do it all.
At Collegeboxes, we can ship straight to school for move-in day. We can also deliver any forgotten items. We even store the stuff that doesn’t quite fit in their dorm room.
Send a Care Package
A great way to show you care without being too overbearing is by sending a care package. No matter how much they think they have it all figured out, you know your child better than they know themselves.
Pack these boxes full of your child’s favorite treats, gift cards, cute little knickknacks, or even a personal note. That way, you can express your feelings to them privately, as well as helping them stock up on the things they need.
You will definitely get some extra points from your student when this arrives in the mail!
Consider Other Options
We all know the real hard part of moving into the dorms is packing the car and unloading it once you get to campus. But what if we told you that you were able to skip that part entirely?
At Collegeboxes, we know firsthand how hard move-in days can be for students and parents alike. It is a day full of excitement, sadness, and a whole lot of stress! Instead of trying to haul boxes in the summer heat, let us do the heavy lifting.
Our ship to school service completely takes out all the hard work for moving day. Once you pack up all their things, you can have them picked up and shipped to a U-Haul location near your school’s campus.
From there, we can store your items safely for as long as you need. Then, once move-in day rolls around, your student’s belongings are neatly placed in their future dorm.
We also offer direct shipping for anything you forget to send with your child. Winter clothes, care packages, or even their most treasured childhood stuffed animal are all completely safe when you ship through Collegeboxes. And that’s why we are mom approved!
Ready to get your student back to school in style? Sign up with us today!