Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 11:16     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Anonymous wrote:Do parents always continue to accompany kids after first year when they go relatively far away? We were planning to send my husband with our sophomore daughter on her 8 hour drive next week to move into her sorority, but he's had something come up at work and I have an unavoidable work commitment too (and we have two other kids at home). She is fine with the drive, seems ok asking friends to help lug her stuff, and will be keeping her car at school - he was going to fly home. Of course last year we did the whole thing with her - overnight trip, put everything together, etc. Needless to say in the 1990s we wanted nothing to do with our parents on campus. Are we terrible parents sending her off with a packed SUV, snacks, phone, etc.?


No need to go. It's an 8 hour drive, not a cross country trip (for that I would send a parent along as it's a long drive and your 19 yo cannot stay at most hotels alone). She can use her car and friends to help move stuff, let her adult
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 11:10     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is she allowed to park her car on campus all year? Did she drive herself before, when a parent accompanied her?

This would not work for my kid with severe ADHD, but if your kid is very functional and organized, and has already driven the route... then perhaps, yes.


OP - yes and yes, and appreciate that this is a kid-specific decision. Sorority has free parking(!) and we have done this drive as a family several times, weather looking good.


OK, then it looks like she can handle herself. To me this is not a "setting up room" issue (couldn't care less about that), it's a driving safety issue.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 11:07     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Anonymous wrote:Is she allowed to park her car on campus all year? Did she drive herself before, when a parent accompanied her?

This would not work for my kid with severe ADHD, but if your kid is very functional and organized, and has already driven the route... then perhaps, yes.


OP - yes and yes, and appreciate that this is a kid-specific decision. Sorority has free parking(!) and we have done this drive as a family several times, weather looking good.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:59     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Sounds good! She’s ok with it.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:47     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Anonymous wrote:There's no airport nearby? I would buy her a ticket instead.

DP, but I’m not sending my kid on their own to wrangle all the stuff they would be bringing. The car would be easier for a solo person.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:46     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Anonymous wrote:There's no airport nearby? I would buy her a ticket instead.


Yeah - the issue is she's bringing her car full of stuff and keeping her car.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:45     Subject: Move-ins after first year
OP - thanks all. I think this is a social media induced guilt, parents setting up the rooms every year! But my daughter is pretty mature and independent, she can totally handle it and will probably be proud of herself when it's done.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:44     Subject: Move-ins after first year
There's no airport nearby? I would buy her a ticket instead.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:43     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Is she allowed to park her car on campus all year? Did she drive herself before, when a parent accompanied her?

This would not work for my kid with severe ADHD, but if your kid is very functional and organized, and has already driven the route... then perhaps, yes.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:42     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Anonymous wrote: I don't think so. Maybe give her some extra money to treat friends to dinner, who helped lug her stuff.

+1

If she’s ok with it and you don’t have concerns about her ability to handle the drive, it’s fine. She’ll be fine and friends will have a good time helping with the move.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:40     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Mine never did.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:40     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Sounds like she'll be just fine.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:37     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Anonymous wrote: I don't think so. Maybe give her some extra money to treat friends to dinner, who helped lug her stuff.


+1

Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:25     Subject: Move-ins after first year
I don't think so. Maybe give her some extra money to treat friends to dinner, who helped lug her stuff.
Anonymous
Post 08/12/2025 10:23     Subject: Move-ins after first year
Do parents always continue to accompany kids after first year when they go relatively far away? We were planning to send my husband with our sophomore daughter on her 8 hour drive next week to move into her sorority, but he's had something come up at work and I have an unavoidable work commitment too (and we have two other kids at home). She is fine with the drive, seems ok asking friends to help lug her stuff, and will be keeping her car at school - he was going to fly home. Of course last year we did the whole thing with her - overnight trip, put everything together, etc. Needless to say in the 1990s we wanted nothing to do with our parents on campus. Are we terrible parents sending her off with a packed SUV, snacks, phone, etc.?