Is your college student filling homesick? How can you help?

Part of the college experience is… well… experiencing college. So, we don’t want our girls coming home a ton during the schoolyear. Don’t get me wrong, we always welcome them home with open arms, and they can come back to their rooms ANY time. But we’ve always encouraged them to stay, and to get involved with weekend activities on their campus.

Inevitably, our girls have experienced being homesick. Facetime is great, and we’re so thankful for it since we didn’t have anything like that in our college days. But Facetime can’t compare to a real hug, a home-cooked meal, and a comfy “home” bed.

I know it’s not possible for everyone, but what we’ve done instead of having them come home, is we go to them. For one daughter, it’s much easier since she’s only about a three-hour drive. We hop in the car at 8am and arrive in time to take her to lunch. It’s not an “easy” day trip (around six hours in the car, and three or four hours with her), but it’s an actual warm hug (or 10) and real-life time together.

Our other daughter goes to college out of state – a 10-hour drive or two-hour flight. So, it’s not as easy to get to her, but we still do it. What we’ve found is the best option is to rent a two-bedroom VRBO or AirBnb with a full kitchen and washer/dryer. She spends a night or two with us in the rental and we can have a movie night together. We also do her laundry for her and make a home-cooked meal, encouraging her to invite her friends to the dinner. It usually gives her just the boost she needs to get through until the next time she comes home.

If you’re unable to go visit in person, you can send treats or a full care package to let them know they’re loved. At the College Care Package Company, we have a Hug in a Box. It has a little Warmie bear, which is an adorable bear that can be warmed in the microwave for aches and pains, or just a warm bear hug. The box also comes with a cute mug that says HUG IN A MUG, and we can include packets of hot chocolate, if it’s the right season. The box also has a crocheted ice cream cozy – just the right size to hold a pint of your student’s favorite ice cream – and a special ice cream spoon. Finally, we can include an Instacart gift card to have their favorite ice cream pint delivered to their dorm or apartment.

Homesickness is a tricky thing. You want your kids to know they can always, ALWAYS, come home to their family home. But you also want to encourage them to develop the supportive relationships on campus to make them feel loved and comfortable. In the end, you know your student best. If they need to come home to recharge, bring them home.

Here’s an article with lots of other ideas to help your student face homesickness.https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-to-handle-homesickness-in-college