As a parent, you learn to look out for your kids over the years and it is important that they are ready for any situation that life throws at them. Going off to university can be quite an overwhelming experience for a lot of people and if your child is planning to do this in the near future, then you should do all that you can to help them prepare. I remember the moment my Mum and Grandma left me at uni, I was a mixture of excitement, nerves and sadness. In this article, we are going to give you some tips on how you can get your child ready to leave for university. Make sure to keep reading if you’d like to find out more.
Do Research
The first step is probably something that you have already done, to give yourself peace of mind that your child is going somewhere safe. Research is important and if they are moving somewhere they’ve never been before then it doesn’t hurt for you to help them know what it is going to be like when they get there. Although they are an adult and can do these things themselves, it is nice to help them out with finding a local doctor, dentist or even the nearest supermarket to their accommodation.
Teach Them How To Be Independent
You might have spent all your life cooking and cleaning for your kids but now is the time that they need to do it for themselves. Before they go, you should make sure that they know what they are doing. Of course, there are plenty of student cookbooks out there, but do they know how to plan their meals and eat healthy without your guidance? You would be surprised at how many students have never done a load of washing or cooked a main meal in their lives.
Explain Budgeting
University often means debt and so it is important that your child understands how to properly manage their money in order to avoid making this debt even worse. Think about helping them set up a student bank account that comes with an interest free overdraft which they can use for any sort of emergencies. You should also help them to set themselves a monthly budget to ensure that they are not spending all of their student loan in the first week that they get it. If you can help them to grasp budgeting from the get-go, then they should be well on their way.
Let Them Go
There is only so much preparation that you can do in order to help your child when they are at university. They need to be able to figure things out for themselves as you won’t always be there to help them out. Make sure to accept the fact that they are moving on and that they are an adult now. Make sure to do your research, help them to budget and teach them how to be independent and they will thank you for it in the long-run.
What did you study at university? Did you make life long friends? I would love to hear about your experiences and tips for preparing your children in the comments below or on social media: @mummyconstant.
