What did you do with your kids before Uni?

cotsvale

My last thread got hijacked so I thought I'd try again.

Thank you to anyone that responded to my last thread - I decided not to respond further to the psycobabble and start again in a different vein. I shouldn't have made my op so personal as I should have known that there would be 1 who would take it up as their mission. LOL. Anyway ....

How did you spend your last day or hours with your kids before you left them at Uni. Were you upset or ok. Did you drop and go or have a meal or go bowling or the pub? How did you mark the occassion?
I know that I will cry when we say adieu. Was this a problem for you or not? Was it a problem for your kids?

Broken_hearted

My children havn't gone and won't for a number of years but hopefully I would opt for a nice family meal. I will cry buckets aqnd then some. I went to uni so want my children to have the same experiences and opertunities.

littlemissmoney

Parents should help them unpack, find the supermarket and buy them loads of supplies, take them out for a big lunch, give them massive hugs, tell them they love them and to have a great time, then leg it as fast as they can to the car before you all start crying your eyes out

The above worked every term for me (I was the student)

Rikki

My son starts this September and to be honest I haven't really thought about it.
He's 18 he is now, an adult in his own right and I will help him as little or as much as he wants me to.
Its months away yet.

jrrowleyws

Drop off, Go to supermarket and stock up on heavy/bulky items, have meal (bare in mind that this might be the last decent meal until christmas hehe!) and then say your goodbyes.

Try not to cry in front of them as it makes it doubly worse, especially when youve got to go and face all your new flat/house mates for the first time!!

After a few weeks a food parcel is always appreciated with a few munchies in, just brings back the thought and feel of being at home.

kr15snw

Just agreeing with others and repeating what I said in the other thread..

* Help them unpack
* Take them for a lovely meal (last proper one they get for a while)
* Take them to the supermarket (Seriously stock up with stuff that will keep. Tins etc)
* Check theres nothing else they want a hand with before you go
* Big hug and kisses, maybe a few tears
* Get in car, wait until out of sight and cry all you like

I would say its ok to have a few tears, but dont break down. Wait until your out of sight to do that

And as others have done, little care packages go down well. And whenever she comes home give her a meal she can take home and reheat (like a roast dinner or something) and a big food parcel lol

Youll be fine, and youll start getting on with her so much more now (but I think you already do quite well).

alanalea

When I left for medical school, my parents dropped me off at the halls in Tooting ( 185 miles away)

We got there, and they helped me get all of my stuff into the top floor flat. They took me to the supermarket and stocked up on pasta/rice/bread/store cupboard things. We then went for a meal, said our real goodbyes and they went home. We didn't draw things out- literally only a couple of hours.

What I found really really nice was my mum kept on sending really funny and silly little packages through the post- like a par of socks with a fruit winder, or a pack of worry dolls with some funky hairbands.:T

Rachie_B

oh god! this thread makes me want to cry and my sons are just 11 & 5

am feeling bad enough about the eldest starting secondary school in sept

(((hugs))) for you,i can only imagine how hard it is going to be !

vik6525

We just did it quickly when i went to uni... my parents drove me the 300 odd miles there, helped me unpack, took me to the supermarket for food and booze, and then left... Quickly... Before we had a chance to think about it... I went to the union bar and made friends, and apparently my parents and sis sat in the car, not speaking, for four hours. though the silence was apparently interupted by my dads sobbing... Bless....

belfastgirl23

Just check before you buy too much food that there is somewhere secure for her to leave it (esp perishables). I know in my halls of residence anyone who left anything tasty in the fridge lost it, especially in the first few days when all the doors were left wide open (while people carried stuff in) and no one knew who was who. Cupboards were lockable so were safer.

If she drinks white wine or cold drinks, a wine 'sleeve' that she can put in the freezer would be a good idea (to save her risking her wine in the fridge!)

looby-loo_2

When we dropped my son off we arrived, unpacked, had a quick look round the room and kitchen and I could see he couldn't wait for us to leave as all the newbies were meeting in the commom room and getting to know each other. He wanted to join in, not have us hanging around so we left after about 20 mins and spent the rest of the day in London.
I bought an under the bed storage box and filled it with food for him and we took that with us.