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What No One Warns You About the Sophomore Send-Off
What people don’t mention about the sophomore send-off is that it can be just as challenging—if not more so—than the freshman drop-off. You might not realize that your child, the one you left at college with tears in your eyes last spring, will return home transformed into a young adult. A young adult who, surprisingly, needs you even less than before.
No one tells you, and definitely not your son, that he might be feeling a bit bummed about coming home for the summer. He’s not as excited to share space with siblings again or to follow your household rules. He might even feel that the hometown he once adored doesn’t feel like home anymore.
What you won’t hear is that, although he relies on you less, you’ll still find yourself cooking, cleaning, and doing his laundry. But somehow, it won’t bother you, because it means your beloved boy is back under your roof.
No one prepares you for the sight of him sprawling across your entire couch for days after his return, exhausted from finals, packing, and socializing. You’ll walk past and find yourself pausing for a moment, watching him sleep just like you used to when he was little, marveling at how quickly time has flown by.
You might be surprised to discover that this almost-adult will still bicker with his younger brother, and that you’ll find yourselves arguing over curfews, wet towels on the floor, and who drank the last of the milk—just like old times when he was a teenager.
And even if you’re hesitant to admit it, you will feel a slight sense of relief when he heads back to school in August—just a smidge.
When you scroll through Facebook and see other parents dropping off their freshmen, smiling through tears, you’ll feel a wave of relief that you don’t have to go through that again this year, yet there will be a hint of sadness too. That was a significant day, another milestone that has come and gone.
As the time to leave approaches, your son will casually wave goodbye as he drives away. No big deal for him—he’s got this. And in that moment, your heart will swell with pride while simultaneously breaking with sadness.
What people don’t mention, but you understand deep down, is that the very things you wished for him—new friends, experiences, independence—are the things pulling him away from you. You also know that he’ll likely come home less frequently during his sophomore year, growing up even more. Next summer, or maybe the one after that, he could be off on an internship or a study abroad adventure.
You can’t shake the feeling that this might be the last summer you get to spend with your boy.
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In summary, while the sophomore send-off might catch you off guard, it’s a pivotal moment in both your lives, filled with pride and a touch of bittersweet emotion.