As I've said in previous posts, I COULD be that mom. You know, the one for advice for every scenario. Oh wait, I AM that mom...but I don't need to be!
In fairness, I haven't been in the business office for either kids' university since they were registered full time (and only then because the credit card was in my name). I haven't known my daughter's class schedule for 2 years. The last time I was on campus was Parents' Weekend in October. I've never met anyone at her internship. And most importantly, none of her professors since she started at Poly would be able to pick me out of a lineup!
And today she handled her first car repair, armed only with the knowledge that her dad was a phone call away. Handled it perfectly too. We knew she would!
She does call almost every day. I'm so glad she does, her life is MUCH more interesting than my account of which bathroom was dirtier. Besides, I like being needed. We had a big laugh last week about a "calls to Mom" meme that included things like "How do I make rice". Don't you love it when your kids say the same thing that you taught them? Her response was "follow the instructions on the box".
In fairness, we do have a system set up for the "weird and infrequent". You know--illness, writing a check (which in this era of computerized banking is infrequent), and basic repairs. For our son, I had an index card binder. It only had cards for various illnesses. There were things like "for itchy eyes or allergic reaction take 1-2 Benedryl Warning--you will feel a nap attack coming on!". I put it in a box with all the meds mentioned on the index cards. For our daughter we had a more complete list of "likely questions"; so she has a binder.
If I had it to do over, I would have started the binder sooner. I included favorite recipes, the "what to do when you're sick" instructions and a section on basic household maintenance. For example, back in the day, my brother didn't know that the vacuum cleaner needed a bag (which created quite a mess). Obviously, the binder isn't sufficient if your kiddo isn't familiar with basic household skills. Take advantage of the high school years for basic practice. Do they know the difference between boil, simmer, brown, bake & broil? Do they know how to check the air pressure in their car's tires? Can they sort, wash and dry their laundry? In our daughter's case, she left for college 6 weeks after she was accepted. If we hadn't been prepping for years, we would have been in big trouble!
Lastly, it has been discussed in many articles that a lot of young adults are lacking in soft skills. Do your kids know how to answer a phone in a business like manner? Are they able to introduce themselves in a businesslike manner? Do they know how to conduct themselves in a business setting? And, by the way, they'll miss out on some great instruction if they don't put the phone down during class. These are all skills that will come in very handy during college and job interviews!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
