Parents who can successfully transition into an advisory/advocate role for their college freshman are likely to gain a more open and positive relationship with their child who is progressing into adulthood. While you will always be their parent, they won’t need you to babysit or nurture them, they now need an advisor/mentor/advocate that they know and trust. They will need someone to help them think through situations, show them different perspectives, help them evaluate their decisions and the potential consequences to those decisions. Afterall, they will need to start learning how to live with the choices they make.
Hey Scholar, what do you hope to accomplish socially as you pursue your college degree?
Hey Advocate, what do you hope to see in your scholar (socially) by the time they graduate? (ie. independence, self-sufficiency, got a job, etc.)
— Wanda Bates