You’re so close the best time of your life: college! This upcoming academic year is going to be awesome. You’re going to push yourself to accomplish some amazing things, and you’ll make friendships that will last a lifetime in the process.
Plus, college means carefree weekends, and, if you’re lucky, no morning classes. No more Mom and Dad telling you what to do, no more high school drama and no more seven-hour school days!
Wait, slow down. Was that…“no more Mom and Dad”?
Being away from your parents can be one of the hardest transitions freshmen go through. No matter how well you’ve convinced yourself that you’ll be fine without them, during the first couple days of college, it’s going to hit you: You are going to miss your parents, and they will miss you even more.
With this in mind, remember to take the time to say a proper goodbye to your parents before you leave home. Here are some super cute, super sentimental and, most importantly, super heartfelt ways to say goodbye to the people who have helped you the most in your life.
1. Plan family time
Good, old-fashioned quality time with your parents can never be underestimated. Planning an evening out at your favorite go-to restaurant or even just having a movie night are both good options to say a bittersweet goodbye to your parents before you depart. Take this time to let your parents know how much you’re going to miss them when you leave (even if you don’t believe it yet!). Let them spoil you once more before you go off to live “adult life” in your dorm, and don’t forget to say a big “thank you” for all they’ve done.
“Because I was so focused on saying my goodbyes to my friends from school, I totally forgot about saying goodbye to my parents!” says Ariah Hammond, a recent high school graduate. “I made it up to them by hanging out with them and my brothers. We played board games and just had a family night.”
2. Make a goodbye video
A video is an adorable way to say goodbye to your parents if you’re not so great with in-person goodbyes. Whether it’s a DVD left at home, a video message sent over email or even a FaceTime date, a video of you saying goodbye will let your parents know you’ll miss them. You can also take your camera around your dorm once you arrive and show Mom and Dad your completed room!
3. Make a scrapbook
Similar to a goodbye video, a scrapbook can be an even more sentimental gift for your parents to cherish. You can fill it with pictures of you and your mom when you were a child, tickets from game days with your dad or just scribbled notes about your favorite memories you’ve had with your family. A scrapbook is the perfect gift to give Mom and Dad the day before you leave for college (or just hand it to them when they drop you off if you don’t want to endure your mom sobbing all over you).
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