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The idea of sending your kids off to college is something that feels a whole lifetime away to a lot of parents when their kids are young. However, if there’s one thing that pretty much all parents realize pretty quickly is that life moves a whole lot faster than you often expect. The day that you wave them off for their first day at college often comes around a whole lot faster than you might expect. Because of that, it pays to make sure that you’re ready. With that in mind, here are some things that you can do to help your child’s transition to college go as smoothly as possible.

Make sure they have everything they need

Kids need a lot of stuff when they head off to college. For a lot of us, we have a memory of showing up to college with a few changes of clothes, some textbooks, and that’s about it. That’s not the way things are now. Technology is a huge part of the college experience for a lot of kids, especially if their college course actually requires it. This can get pretty pricey pretty fast so it’s a good idea to look into things like how to get an Apple student discount. That way you can make sure that your child has everything they need without breaking the bank.

Don’t hover over them

For a lot of people, this could be the first time that your child has spent any extended amount of time living independently away from home. Because of this, it’s often all too easy to fall into the habit of hovering over them and trying to make sure that everything’s okay. Sure, your hearts in the right place but for a kid who wants to get out and make their own mark on the world, this can be seriously frustrating. Make sure that you take a step back and give them the space that they really need so that they can figure out their own place in the world.

Let them know they always have a home with you

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you then abandon them entirely. College can be a scary time for a lot of kids so knowing that they always have somewhere safe at home with you is a great way to give them that all-important safety net that can allow them to embrace the college life with more confidence than if they were just thrown in at the deep end.

There’s no doubt that going off to college is one of the most exciting things in the world for your child. Just don’t make the mistake of assuming that you’re the only one feeling frightened and unprepared when the day finally comes. The truth is that this is a seriously scary step for a lot of kids. Because of that, it’s always a good idea to make sure that you’re there to let them know you’re right behind them and that you support them every step of the way.