Flava.
The Rest
8. Remember that respect and communication run both ways. Most parents agree that the key to a successful holiday break is mutual communication and respect. College kids who text their parents when they will be late and don't treat their family homes like their dorms (with the erratic hours and mess that entails) are more likely to find their parents willing to treat them as adults.
The Rest
Great graphic.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall us discussing an article like this in the run-up to one of the other breaks.
My impression is that the groundwork for making "home for the holidays" work happens well before the kids head off to college.
Ah, here it is:
DeleteFor Those Of You Poor Bastards Who Teach Them AND Raise Them. 5 Ways to Deal With the College Kids Coming Home. From HuffPo.
We could compare and contrast the approaches of Today and HuffPo.
I like that Today provides an example of how kids can respect their parents in item #8. They could have provided an example for the other side, too. Here's mine, which draws from item #7 as well:
Parents who involve their kids in planning the vacation trip are more likely to find said kids happily engaged whils on said trip.
Corollary: if you book your kid(s) a red-eye flight that has them rushing to pack and leave right after their last final, and then when they arrive home you immediately stick them on another long flight to some far-off destination, don't be surprised when they get a bit testy upon your announcing the 5th museum you're taking them to on your first day there. Remember: while they're at school, they're used to sleeping during the day and getting extra credit points for going to museums.