Drop off at college

[Anonymous]

Wow, I am not 8:36 but could have written that post! Miss my kid and tend to be an emotional person who cries a lot but haven’t. Such a range of feelings we all have, and all valid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not outwardly emotional and I had a very hard time dropping off my son last year. I’m sad to report that second year drop off was even worse, because our family “reestablished” this last summer with DS a major part of it and now it feels brand new having him move out again. Hopefully there is some scar tissue that will make my recovery quicker.

I’m only heartened that perhaps it will be easier dropping Kid 2 next year - especially since she is already flapping her wings causing a lot of head butting in our home .

This is exactly what happened here! I had adjusted to my dd being gone. Having her home made drop off hard agin. She in an apartment this year, makes at more permanent!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is funny because I AM generally an emotional person and would consider myself very close to my daughter. I have not had this type of reaction and am wondering what's wrong with me. In the past few years, I'd get sad thinking about her eventually leaving, and now that she has, I'm kind of like, "well, we all knew this was happening and she's where she is supposed to be." Not at all what I expected.

This is how I was also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We dropped our oldest kid off about 10 days ago and I was pretty much fine until today. He texted asking me to take him off of an email list for his sport (brother still involved) because "getting practice time updates is making me sad." I think he was just kind of bummed, but it sent me into hysterics.

I feel ya on this one. My son was a bit sad when he and his buddies were cut off from the coach’s emails last summer. I still read the HS emails and sports updates but this year I’m unsubscribing. Made me a little melancholy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My body basically broke down. Perimenopause at 8 months without a period and the day before move-in, period came raging back. Other body issues, etc. All stress-induced which frankly emotionally I thought I was doing okay, but I think the month of getting ready mentally and physically for move-in day last week of August just broke me down. My body knew more than me.

I was surprised at the emotions raging through us. It is full circle, 18 years. I am so proud of who he turned out to be and where he is headed, his work and just being in all around 'good person' and then you can't help but think back on all of those memories and bringing them home from the hospital. You know you did a good job to get them this far and that job includes being able to allow them to successfully launch and move onto the next stage (without making them feel bad about it---cue self try to stay upbeat, try to stay upbeat).

We saw an entirely new side to our firstborn this week. He is usually incredibly stoic and not emotional and even his texts were full of words of praise and love for us and thankful. It opened up a new channel of communication and emotion between us and him. I think he also reflected on how great his childhood was and how much love and support is behind him, and he is grown up enough now to realize it and voice gratitude. My heart is full.

Wow, that’s nice of your son. Hopefully he becomes friends with my son 😀

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not outwardly emotional and I had a very hard time dropping off my son last year. I’m sad to report that second year drop off was even worse, because our family “reestablished” this last summer with DS a major part of it and now it feels brand new having him move out again. Hopefully there is some scar tissue that will make my recovery quicker.

I’m only heartened that perhaps it will be easier dropping Kid 2 next year - especially since she is already flapping her wings causing a lot of head butting in our home .

My kid is in grad school now. The scab gets ripped off and ripped off many times.

[Anonymous]

I’m doing better than expected, but I also grieved a lot last fall thinking about it when applications were being submitted. I also think that, like homesickness for them, sadness will come and go throughout the next few years. And good things, too!

[Anonymous]

We just dropped off yesterday - driving home from New England now

Maybe it hasn’t hit me yet? I was told I would cry the whole way home. No tears so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is funny because I AM generally an emotional person and would consider myself very close to my daughter. I have not had this type of reaction and am wondering what's wrong with me. In the past few years, I'd get sad thinking about her eventually leaving, and now that she has, I'm kind of like, "well, we all knew this was happening and she's where she is supposed to be." Not at all what I expected.

This is me, too! Also, the past 6 months have been brutal with boundary-pushing and we all need a break. She's going to have to figure some things out on her own.

[Anonymous]

For those of you not sad, any tips how you prepared yourself?

[Anonymous]

My kids are seniors in college now and I had a moment this morning where I had a good cry because i missed them. They both worked internships locally but were around most of the summer and it is like ripping the bandaid off every year. We had a great family beach vacation the week before they left so I’m missing vacation AND my kids. Rough landing.0

[Anonymous]

Frankly, I was totally envious and nostalgic.

For me, going of to college meant leaving a small, backward rural town in PA for the "big city" (Pittsburgh, LOL).

And now here's my kid gearing up for his own notch up in independence and beginnings of an adult life. I am so proud. (He did a short study abroad between junior and senior years in HS, so I'm confident of his living/coping skills.)

Here he is now living in a nice dorm, with good cafeteria food on demand (no shopping, no cooking). Wonderful school in college town (Umich, Ann Arbor).

He picked a cool schedule of classes. There are two I wish *I* was the one taking. Oh, to go back to that age and stage in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I was totally envious and nostalgic.

For me, going of to college meant leaving a small, backward rural town in PA for the "big city" (Pittsburgh, LOL).

And now here's my kid gearing up for his own notch up in independence and beginnings of an adult life. I am so proud. (He did a short study abroad between junior and senior years in HS, so I'm confident of his living/coping skills.)

Here he is now living in a nice dorm, with good cafeteria food on demand (no shopping, no cooking). Wonderful school in college town (Umich, Ann Arbor).

He picked a cool schedule of classes. There are two I wish *I* was the one taking. Oh, to go back to that age and stage in life.

👍 He will love “A squared.”