With this being college admissions season, it’s time to address a problem that will soon be facing many parents out there, your child leaving. When your child leaves you for college it can cause serious feelings of abandonment and loneliness, you put 18 years into this child only to have them leave. So what do you do?

Examine the motives

Your child is leaving, but the question to ask is, why? Seeing that your child has a goal and a plan can help put your mind at ease. When your child’s motives are shaky, you can work to help them solidify their plans before the big move.

Rid yourself of fantastical ideas

Many parents find it hard to let go for obvious reasons. To cope with this, some resort to feeding themselves fantasies. You need to be honest with yourself and realize that sometimes it’s not feasible for a gifted child to go to community college only to stay with his mommy and it’s not practical for an entire family to uproot so that daddy can watch over his little girl.

Trust your child

It’s hard not to worry that every little thing may go wrong with your child, and it is perfectly understandable for you to worry. What you have to do is have faith in your son or daughter and know that you raised them to be a good and talented student. If you are worried about your child’s decision making skills, take the time before they leave for college to work with them on some basic skills like financial planning. Once your child leaves your house though, you need to cut the cord and let them be their own person.

In this day and age, parents are much more involved in their children’s lives than they were in the past. While this does have its good points, it means that it is that much harder to let go when the time comes. Trust your child, and have faith in your ability to raise them as powerful individuals. Be safe, be relaxed, and have faith in your child.