GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's both a time to celebrate and stress out. For parents, sending a child off to school is an emotional time.
"There's a lot of worry," said Lyndsay Volpe Bertram, section chief of adult psychology for Corewell Health. "A lot of worry about kiddos going out and learning how to be independent for the first time."
She expects parents to feel proud, sad, worried and concerned about the unknown. They are releasing a big part of themselves out into the world.
These feelings are all normal, Volpe Bertram said. However, if someone is not sleeping or eating as well as previously, or anxiety is taking up a large part of their day, seeing professional help is always an option.
Volpe Bertram gave some tips for parents navigating this time.
First, find a parental support system. This can be with other parents who have been through similar things, or with friends to vent to.
Second, set up a communication plan with the young adult.
"So, figuring out when they might do those check ins," said Volpe Bertram. "Are they going to do a phone call? Or maybe FaceTime, text message, a group chat? Establishing some boundaries, because what we don't want parents to do is overwhelm or smother that child as they're transitioning into this next level of life. You've built them up to be independent, let them be that way, and then cope with your own worries and anxiety about that."
She also suggests planning trips to visit their child on campus and to see what they are living and seeing on a daily basis.
Plus, this is time for parents to explore a new part of their life.
"There's room then to invest back in that identity of who they are outside of being a parent," said Volpe Bertram. "I think there can be a lot of joy in that, and it's a helpful distraction."
She suggests establishing closer relationships with friends, going on date nights and finding new hobbies.