Yesterday the Daily Deac shared an article from the New York times about how parents and students adjust over the winter break. We solicited comments from Deac families about your own winter break experiences and best advice.
We received this very thoughtful response from the father of a Class of 2011 graduate, and thought we would share it here (with his permission).
A few thoughts on the New York Times article:
I still recall the excellent Freshman Orientation programs and specifically the words of the Dean of Freshman Studies who discussed some of the issues raised in the NYT article. Freshman Orientation is an excellent opportunity for parents to receive information that may help mitigate the uncomfortable issues experienced by some of the family members and students quoted in the NYT article.
My wife and I have a policy of “no surprises”. College friends are always welcome at our house over breaks, but please let us know in advance if they have any special needs. It’s nice to know prior to marinating the steaks that our son’s friend is vegetarian.
Keeping with our no surprises policy, we let our kids know several weeks before breaks when the family visits or dinners are scheduled. This allows them to better plan their time while home on break. Never overbook the break with scheduled events. Our kids need plenty of time to sleep, lounge on the couch, reconnect with high school friends and wrestle with the dog. With a little planning and good communication, family time can be stress free and enjoyable.
We invite you to continue the conversation by sending your thoughts to parents@wfu.edu
