The Annual Migration Back Home of the College Kids

[iwishiwasthere]

Mine never migrates back. We have a residence in Midtown ATL, so she stays there. Therefore, I miss the hell out of her. Her last exam at Tech was today, so we're gonna drive up and take her own to lunch tomorrow just to spend a few precious moments with her.

I really do miss her so much that it literally hurts. But I'm not trying to do the guilt trip on her - I know she has her own life, independent of ours. The circle of life ... but it still makes my heart ache because I love her and miss her so much.

I can relate to the independent life. My sweet child is staying an extra week till the dorms close, parking her stuff at a friend's garage, then off to Guatemala for 2 weeks to build houses. Returns for us to get her stuff, comes home for two weeks,leaves again. Then spends all of July in NC working at the college....comes home for 10 days and is gone for the next semester. Not the summer I had planned. It really is wonderful she enjoys life so much, just miss our funny times together. Once my children leave for college, they are gone forever.

Ditto on the heartache part..Trying to keep sadness at bay

 

[peapod1980]

But what is the meaning of it? Can I say it while I do the handsign as a greeting? Or is it used like "I'm gonna drink so many beers tonight that everyone will see my poonany"? Or maybe "That Derby horse was slow because his poonany got in the way". Noun? Verb? Adjective?

What the he!! does it mean???

OMG, I think I just choked, and I'm not even drinking or eating anything!

 

[TooFarTampa]

If you don't wear panties and you drink too much you will show your poonany."

Good thing the lady passed out on the couch at your party was wearing panties!

 

[TooFarTampa]

I can relate to the independent life. My sweet child is staying an extra week till the dorms close, parking her stuff at a friend's garage, then off to Guatemala for 2 weeks to build houses. Returns for us to get her stuff, comes home for two weeks,leaves again. Then spends all of July in NC working at the college....comes home for 10 days and is gone for the next semester. Not the summer I had planned. It really is wonderful she enjoys life so much, just miss our funny times together. Once my children leave for college, they are gone forever.

Ditto on the heartache part..Trying to keep sadness at bay

But boy, on the flip side what a responsible, wonderful daughter you have raised. Nice job! :clap_1:

Be proud -- all of you. I know it is easy for me to say (little ones tugging at me all the time, college many years away) but I do remember well the feeling of being on my own for the first time. The fact that my parents prepared me so well to be independent meant that I was very independent from the day I left for school. I know it hurt, but I also know my parents were proud of me and relieved they didn't have to worry (even though of course they did).

I did come home two summers to my mom's house, and we got along fine. I did my own laundry, paid my own expenses except for my car and didn't stay out too too late and came home very quietly. This was even before cell phones and my mom never freaked out. It can work dear Mermaid! And enjoy the little bit of time you will have with him.

 

[iwishiwasthere]

Thanks for the filp side view....it is often hard to see good things when drowning in pity... I needed that!

 

[Paula]

Last week, 30,000 young adults left our university town and many went back home to their parents. I don't know how their parents are feeling, but we're sure feeling pretty good with the sunshine, spring flowers, no traffic, peace and quiet -- at least until the end of August when 30,000 students all come back to town. It's fun when the students are here because the place is hopping and we have all the restaurants, theaters, events that they keep in business (and I'd be unemployed if it wasn't for the students) but it's also fun when the place quiets down for about 4 months every year from late April to late August. To be honest, I get teary-eyed at the end of every April when I see parents come to town to see their children graduate from college and I see all the young adults in caps and gowns walking down the street with their proud parents. I'll be the parent watching her kids graduate someday, and I can guarantee I'll need a party in SoWal afterwards!

 

[Miss Kitty]

I do believe that kids should respect their parents. But what do you mean by 'respect'? Doing everything their parents say? Or trying to work out an arrangement that both can live with?

Some kids come home from college (paid for by themselves) to live in their parents' home (paid for by their grandparents). Then should they just show respect to the grandparents?

 

[audie]

FYI..I am 44 and my daddy still worries about me coming in late when I am at his house!!! I don't think that ever ends.

i am right there with you kd - i will very soon be 40 and when i go home my pop always asks if i need gas money....when i asked him why he doesn't ask my sis he said it's because he knows she does need it !

 

[Beach Runner]

I feel like that's how my parents get...and when I come home, who do I hang out with? My friends. It's tricky. There is a very fine line...As long as all my friends keep getting married they won't want anything do to with me and I'll hang with the 'rents.

Thanks for getting it, Kimmi. This has been a really hard transition for us and our only child. Our daughter said tonight that she wishes she'd never have to grow up. We were so incredibly happy when she was in high school. Then as Kanye would say, "It all falls down." Not having her ebullient self bounce into the house every day a few minutes after 3:30 just kills me.

Wish we didn't have the place in ATL. Then she'd have to come home every once in a while.

So bring it on - bring on the laundry - bring on the "What's for dinner?" - bring on the waiting up for the adult child to return home. Better than empty nest.

 

[Destiny]

My son loved Auburn so much when he left home he forgot the way back!!
No seriously, the first couple of years they seem to like the "independence" and learning who their real friends are. After that, mom and dad aren't so bad. Of course that might be because it takes mom and dad that long to get used to not having so many rules.
Now that he is older (24), he calls us every day to check on us. We are 50 and 54!! :funn: He is trying to act like the parent and insist we eat healthy and exercise. Imagine, he wants us around a few more years. :clap_1:
Enjoy your children when they are young and you will enjoy them when they are older too. Time is so precious and passes quickly.