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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I truly don't understand this perspective.  It just strikes me as a bit provincial.  Don't you want your children to be independent, strike out on their own, see somewhere different from where they grew up?  Why constrain them to driving distance?

Both my parents came from humble backgrounds (two different countries) but went to school *oceans* away from their parents.  That was just the norm in both small countries--many people went abroad for university.

My husband also grew up abroad.  While his parents settled on the East Coast, he went to the West Coast to a great university.  Completely life-changing experience for him that permeates today.  I stayed very close to home (TBH, largely due to my long-term boyfriend at the time), and I wish I would've ventured farther afield, for my own development and independence.

I love my young daughter fiercely (she's 3, but I occasionally look at the college board).  I plan on strongly encouraging her to go away to school--CA, UK, etc.  It will be hard, but I believe that she will learn a lot about herself and gain greater independence along the way, while also planting the seed of travel, experiencing different places, etc.

Of course, a lot can change before then--if she has mental health issues, or special needs, or something, we'll have to take that into consideration.  But otherwise, we're pushing her out of the nest and hoping she'll feel confident enough to truly spread her wings (sorry for the cliches; partly the wine talking! :)).[/quote]

PP again.  Didn't mean to insinuate that "West is best" or anything.  I used to live out West myself and ran into parents who didn't want their children to leave the state of CA for college.  Also had frequent contact with undergrads as part of my job--many of them never wanted to leave CA, even though this limited their options when applying to grad school in their chosen field.  It just seemed like a very limited perspective.

I say, cut the apron strings and don't come up with excuses re: travel costs, etc. (unless it is really and truly an issue); it is their college experience.  Don't make it about you.  Like my friend from LA who went to Cornell--IMO, often people can find out a lot about themselves when they're out of their comfort zone and have to learn to relate to people with dissimilar life experiences from their own.  [/quote]

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