How to Spend a College Break With a Parent

Coming home from college has its advantages: long sleeps in a comfortable bed, good meals and a break from the frantic routine, not to mention the noise of the dorm. It also means re-entering the family dynamic. Try to enjoy it, not just survive it. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Think ahead. Use the trip home for a few minutes of reflection on what's happened since your last visit. Predict potential reactions to how you've changed. Identify sensitive areas, and plan an approach.
2. Take time with your parents. They miss you--a lot more than you miss them. Be proactive, and suggest a family dinner together before disappearing to look up old friends.
3. Get out of bed before evening. You are exhausted. Sleep is a high priority for the break. Yet for some reason, such sleeping patterns annoy parents. Tell them you need two days of uninterrupted sleep; then you'll get onto a "normal" routine.
4. Provide information. Don't provide too much information though. Survive by talking about college courses, friends and a bit about your life.
5. Talk about issues as they arise. Your parents may be trying hard to survive the break too. Read their signals about late hours, loud music or your messy room. Acknowledging issues shows them you've matured.
6. Show them you've changed. This is the hard part. It's okay to tell them what's different about you.

Tips & Warnings

• The new belly piercing or ankle tattoo may not be the best conversation opener, or even a topic at all. Keep some things to yourself.
• Let your parents know if you are missing a meal and some semblance of a schedule each day, if possible.
• Keep it short. There's no sense in staying if it's getting tense. Hop some cheap transportation to a friend's house, or go back to school.
• It's okay to say, "I'm not interested in that anymore" or provide other indications of how you've changed. Some parents hold onto the child they dropped off at college, even if you're an upperclassman. Help them see the new you.
• Read through some student blogs about what it's like to go home. You can gather other ideas on how to survive the college break.