A New Kind of Spring Break
This one is for the parents of college students… the parents of kids rushing off to Spring Break with their friends for the first time.
For about 14 years, our little family of four joined other family members in Beaver Creek, Colorado for a family ski trip. It was something we looked forward to every year – dedicated time with our kids and extended family.
Then, our twins went off to college. They made great friends, just like we hoped they would. But that comes with its own challenges -- as young adults, they are choosing friends over family for Spring Break. We aren’t upset about it. We want our daughters to fully experience college life, and Spring Break with friends is a part of that. We are thankful they made good friends who want to spend the week with our girls.
But, I’m not gonna lie, we feel a little sad about the fact that our Spring Break family vacations are over after so many years. How are we coping?
We continue to encourage them to spend a few days of that week with their family and try to make it as easy as possible. But we also send them vibes that we’re okay with them spending this time with their friends. It’s a rite of passage.
One daughter is a sophomore in Birmingham, Alabama. It’s only about a four-hour drive to the beaches along 30A in Florida, one of her favorite places. Last year, she cut her friend time short so she could have one last ski trip with her parents, sister, Mimi and cousins. It was so thoughtful of her to give up time with her friends that first year. But this second year, we encouraged her to spend much more of the week with her friends. We asked her to just give us a couple of nights at the end, assuming she felt okay about it.
We’re making it easier for her to see us by going to her, instead of trying her to get back to Texas for the weekend. We’re renting a place along the Gulf Coast, an easy drive from 30A, and back to school. She is happy to come spend the last Friday and Saturday of her spring break with family.
The challenge in having two kids at two different colleges is that their Spring Breaks may not be the same. We have experienced this both years so far. Last year, our other daughter flew from school in Texas to Beaver Creek to meet her sister and cousin for one overlapping weekend on the slopes. This year, she’s bringing a friend to the Gulf Coast rental for that same overlapping weekend.
As they celebrate their 21st birthday this coming winter, the rules may change for next year. They may not wish to break up their break between friends and family. We’re prepared for that to happen, as it is a part of growing up. And we’re soaking in every moment we get with them now.
We saw them more Freshman year than we’ve seen them Sophomore year. So, we make sure they feel the love from mom and dad at home as much as possible. We will send them a Spring Break prep care package (one of the benefits of having a care package company) with sunscreen, water toys, sunglasses, aloe vera gel, koozies, a beach towel, some lip balm and a portable charger, to be sure their phone is always in the positive.
These days are full of adjustment for our college kids, but also for us parents. Sometimes it’s hard for them to split their time between the friends they’re hoping to have for life, and their family, who they know will always be there. Just make sure you love them and support them in the way that’s right for them, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll want to spend a couple days of their vacations with their family.