Hoverings

It may come during a phone call.  It may come through an e-mail.  Or it may come during a visit home.  Your college student lets you know that he is changing his major.  Although some parents may quietly celebrate, for many other parents this is disconcerting, if not frightening, news.  The most important thing to remember is – don’t panic!

As college parents we worry about our student’s transition when she heads off to college.  We know that it will be a big adjustment and that she will be facing challenges and undergoing changes.  Sometimes, however, we forget that there will also be a big adjustment and some challenges when our college student returns home again for her first real break.  Whether it is Thanksgiving break or winter break, the first longer visit home will be a time of readjustment and reacquaintance for everyone.

You may be ready to embrace your role as a coach to your college student.  Good for you.  But you may wonder just how you will do that.  How do you coach from afar?  What do you need to do to coach him on to success?

We’d like to offer six coaching suggestions for parents of college students.

Remind your child that he should not expect you to deal with his issues.

Your child’s college education is one of the biggest purchases you will make in your lifetime.   Whether it’s the $15,000 a year you are spending on a public school in your state, or the $35,000 or more you are bleeding for a private school clear across the country, that expenditure is a substantial drain on the family budget.