We part and we rejoin again throughout the college years, and each parting and reunion helps us meet the day when our children leave home for good. We parents see college as an internship for adulthood. Our students see it as a parent-free zone with nightlife. The great thing about college is it's flexible enough that we can all be right. Summer vacation is just nature's insurance policy against backsliding.
College is great as a student, but it can be even better as a parent.
If we play our cards right, we parents get the challenge, the excitement, and the thrill of a whole new stage of life without ever leaving home or adjusting to a new roommate. So take a deep breath, relish the change, and celebrate the season. Our students may not know it, but we all get a fresh start in September. And since we're certainly older and perhaps a bit wiser, we ought to be smart enough to do something with the chance. I suggest we take it and run.