As the summer winds down and college approaches, preparing your child often comes down to endless checklists: what to buy, what to pack, and what forms to fill out. If you’re feeling lost, there are plenty of resources online. I dove into these lists with the same intensity I had when cramming for finals, especially those titled “Essential Skills Your Child Should Master Before College.”
But as I ticked through these lists, I quickly realized that despite having 18 years, I still had a long list of conversations and life skills I hadn’t covered with my daughter, Tara. Time was slipping away, and I knew we couldn’t fit everything into those last few weeks.
Here are some of the glaring gaps I found in my parenting arsenal:
- Map Reading: Let’s be real, do paper maps even exist anymore thanks to GPS?
- Cooking Basics: Sure, she might not enjoy cooking, but she can whip up delightful chocolate chip cookies, instant oatmeal, and boxed mac and cheese. Does that count?
- Meal Planning: Yeah, planning a week’s worth of affordable meals didn’t quite happen.
- Overnight Campus Rules: Are we really expecting her to stay on campus for four years just because we said so?
- Car Maintenance: I can’t teach what I don’t know. But hey, I’ve got a coupon for Jiffy Lube!
- Sewing Skills: This one slipped through the cracks, though I did introduce her to double-sided tape.
- Making Beds: Hospital corners are an art form, but good luck teaching that to a teenager who prefers to stay in bed.
At first, I panicked, feeling like I had failed as a parent. But then something encouraging happened. Just three weeks before heading off to college, Tara and her friends faced a flat tire. Instead of calling us or AAA (she’s a member too), they rolled up their sleeves, grabbed an instruction manual and some YouTube videos, and changed the tire on their own. It turns out, even if I didn’t teach her everything on my list, she’s resourceful and capable.
I might not have ticked every box on my parenting to-do list, but I found some peace knowing Tara is eager and ready to learn on her own. Letting go of my checklist allowed us to focus on the excitement of her new journey. She’s stepping into her future, just as we all did once.
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Summary:
As college approaches, a parent reflects on the essential life skills they didn’t teach their daughter. Despite feeling unprepared, she finds comfort in her daughter’s independence and resourcefulness, realizing that learning doesn’t stop after high school.