Mixed feelings tend to be common when it finally comes the time to say goodbye to your child as they head off for Uni. Pride will be there for sure! Yet worry can be present too. Indeed, most parents worry about many things when it comes to University from whether they will make friends, to if they will eat healthily, and go easy on alcohol. Fortunately, there are some tactics you can use to ensure your child takes the best care of themselves when it is time for them to move into Halls. Keep reading to find out what they are.
Picture located at Pixabay – License CC0
Help them to pick the right living situation
One of the most valuable things you can do with your teenager to make sure they look after themselves at uni is to help them pick out the right type of living situation for their needs. For example, if you are worried about them being able to cook and eat healthy meals, finding a place for them to live like Sherbourne accommodation can be a great choice. The reason is that there they will have access to their very own kitchen, where they can store food, prep, and cook and even make their own packed lunches for uni. All without having to share facilities or clean up after anyone else before they can begin.
Similarly, some types of private accommodation designed for university students offer state-of-the-art social spaces, which means they can much more easily make friends with and interact with those they are living around. Something that can make their university experience so much more fulfilling and fun.
Talk to them about possible dangers
You don’t want to terrify your teenager and make them dread heading off to uni, yet, having frank conversations about the potential dangers they could face is a very important aspect of keeping them safe, and making sure they can take care of themselves.
This means having conversations about all sorts of things such as:
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Sex
- Consent
- Birth control and STD protection
- Personal security
Yes, these topics can be awkward but remember they will never have been in such an independent living situation before, so they will need to have potential dangers pointed out to them. Otherwise, they may not recognise them until things are too late.
Remind them of all the support they can access
Last of all, before you teenager heads off to begin the next stage of their life at uni, it is a good idea to remind them of all the support they have access to while away from home. Of course, their first port of call is likely to be you, their parents, and setting up video calls regularly for at least the first few weeks is a great way to check that they are settling in well.
Additionally, making them aware of additional support such as their campus doctors surgery, student services, resident advisers, and even support lines run by the uni or independent organisations can help them access the advice and support they need to thrive, even when they do find themselves in a challenging situation.
Collaborative post
