Teens: Tips on Ensuring a Smooth Transition from Home to College

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As you prepare your teen to transition from home to college, keep in mind that your teen is an adult in the making. To begin with, it is important to let your teen know that you will always be available if and when needed Here are four proven tips for preparing your teen to transition from home to college: Tip #1 Understand Understand that your teen needs your confidence in his/her capability to handle all of life's important decisions. You also need to understand your teen’s growing needs for personal power, independence, self-esteem and sense of purpose. Adopting this attitude can empower your teen to transition confidently. . Tip # 2 Respect Teenagers need greater freedom in their drive towards independence. Respect your teen's right to individuality and independence. Give your teen added freedom in the final school year. Expand limits to the rules you may have set before. Let your teen make his/her own decisions and choices. This can be one of the most important preparatory steps to transition from home to school. Tip # 3 Let go It is a challenge for most parents to let go of the control they once had over their child. However, it is important that you remind yourself: Your teen will soon be leaving for college and you will need to prepare him to fend for himself/herself. Hence it is crucial to let go and stop unnecessarily interfering in your teen's activities. Tip # 4 Encourage Encourage your teen to express feelings and identify what is really going on in his/her life. Be honest and open in your communication with your teen. But guard against being over reactive to any mistakes made by giving way to anger, disappointments or frustrations. This could dissuade your teen from freely communicating with you in future. * Conclusion It is your caring and dedication that will equip your teen with all the essential tools to prepare his/her transition from home to college. Most importantly, it will help him/her to be a productive, responsible and successful adult. IMAGE: Courtesy of Pixabay