Students, Welcome to College; Parents, Go Home

[TheQueen]

Students, Welcome to College; Parents, Go Home
By TRIP GABRIEL

GRINNELL, Iowa — In order to separate doting parents from their freshman sons, Morehouse College in Atlanta has instituted a formal “Parting Ceremony.”

It began on a recent evening, with speeches in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Then the incoming freshmen marched through the gates of the campus — which swung shut, literally leaving the parents outside.

When University of Minnesota freshmen move in at the end of this month, parental separation will be a little sneakier: mothers and fathers will be invited to a reception elsewhere so students can meet their roommates and negotiate dorm room space — without adult meddling.

As the latest wave of superinvolved parents delivers its children to college, institutions are building into the day, normally one of high emotion, activities meant to punctuate and speed the separation. It is part of an increasingly complex process, in the age of Skype and twice-daily texts home, in which colleges are urging “Velcro parents” to back off so students can develop independence.

CONTINUE READING (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/education/23college.html?src=me&ref=homepage)

[Doug11]

heh, Dave G (clemsontigger) left a message on my Facebook account saying that with his kids, he filled up their tanks with gas and wished them the best of luck. :D Sounds like he is the type of parent these schools are looking for.

My wife got a snippy voice message from a clerk in the President's office at my son's college yesterday, in response to a plea to get the air conditioning fixed in his dorm. The parting comment was a sarcastic, "I'm sorry your son is hot." :rolleyes

[Garyhoov]

I hope to not be there any longer than it takes to unload the boxes. I'd be a little annoyed with some sort of ceremony. Why would I want to sit through that crap? It's going to be tough saying goodbye . . . but I have no interest in hanging around for any extended period.:lookaroun

[Doug11]

Agreed! There was a convocation for new students and parents that we totally skipped. (setting a good example for my son, as always :lookaroun ) We unpacked his boxes, then made a shopping run to Target and the grocery store, and after getting things mostly set up, he got involved in putting together a piece of dorm furniture and we took that opportunity to say we would leave it with him and that way he was occupied with a project and we could make a graceful exit. :ninja

[TheQueen]

I liked the bit about Morehouse slamming the gates on the parents. Now they're ours..just send us the check...muhahahahahahahahah!!!

[figmentmom]

heh, Dave G (clemsontigger) left a message on my Facebook account saying that with his kids, he filled up their tanks with gas and wished them the best of luck. :D Sounds like he is the type of parent these schools are looking for.

My wife got a snippy voice message from a clerk in the President's office at my son's college yesterday, in response to a plea to get the air conditioning fixed in his dorm. The parting comment was a sarcastic, "I'm sorry your son is hot." :rolleyes

When I was dropped off at college, all the parents gathered for a speech from the college president, who announced that the college was NOT "in loco parentis," and we kids were responsible for our own actions. Not exactly a kick out the door, but certainly not a warm and fuzzy farewell.


I think the ceremony is more to give a reality check to the helicopter parents that have been hovering over their snowflakes for the previous 18 years.

[Hooker]

I'm still wanting to get back the hour of my life when I sat through a parent orientation meeting last Saturday. Boring and the most asinine questions from some of the parents. They had a 30 minute period of saying goodbye to your kid; we were 10 minutes early and I wasn't waiting 10 minutes to delay the inevitable.

But, you gotta do it. She's doing well, we're doing well; life is good.

[Christy]

I'm still wanting to get back the hour of my life when I sat through a parent orientation meeting last Saturday. Boring and the most asinine questions from some of the parents. They had a 30 minute period of saying goodbye to your kid; we were 10 minutes early and I wasn't waiting 10 minutes to delay the inevitable.

But, you gotta do it. She's doing well, we're doing well; life is good.

:hugs

Parent meetings, in general, are a ridiculous waste of time filled with stupid questions. :lol I have yet to be to one where I learned something I hadn't already read in a previously distributed handbook or previously read website page. :goofy

[Hooker]

Let me guess...the "what if" questions. "What if my child does this?" "What if that happens?"Kinda. Also along the lines of where the answer was "your child is in college now. We won't do this/that." Or, that is up to your child to do now.

[Doug11]

I have to admit we skipped that session and went grocery shopping instead during that hour. :lookaroun

Alabama is so large, they don't offer a parent orientation - just a website with frequently asked questions and answers. But Leslie went with Emily to orientation and there were some of those "dumb parent questions" during that. :lol

Anyway, now that all our forum members' kids are off at school, here's a toast to us, "we made it!"

I hope you don't mind that the toast is with coffee. :lol.

[pinkrose]

I'm still wanting to get back the hour of my life when I sat through a parent orientation meeting last Saturday. Boring and the most asinine questions from some of the parents. They had a 30 minute period of saying goodbye to your kid; we were 10 minutes early and I wasn't waiting 10 minutes to delay the inevitable.

But, you gotta do it. She's doing well, we're doing well; life is good. :hugs


:hugs

Parent meetings, in general, are a ridiculous waste of time filled with stupid questions. :lol I have yet to be to one where I learned something I hadn't already read in a previously distributed handbook or previously read website page. :goofy Those are the parents who don't read anything.


I have to admit we skipped that session and went grocery shopping instead during that hour. :lookaroun

Alabama is so large, they don't offer a parent orientation - just a website with frequently asked questions and answers. But Leslie went with Emily to orientation and there were some of those "dumb parent questions" during that. :lol

Anyway, now that all our forum members' kids are off at school, here's a toast to us, "we made it!"

I hope you don't mind that the toast is with coffee. :lol. :hugs to you all!

[figmentmom]

Anyway, now that all our forum members' kids are off at school, here's a toast to us, "we made it!"

I hope you don't mind that the toast is with coffee. :lol.

Coffee it is! :hugs

[aliciakatherine]

I remember being moved in, (I lived in the upper classman apartments from Freshman year-on) then traveling over to the main campus with my parents and my roommate and my roommates parents. Then there was that stupid "your child is an adult now, we're not going to call you about their grades" speach. Then my roommate and I went to lunch and our parents left
:shrug:

thats how I remember it...