Asbury College

How can I best help my child? I'm a long way from him/her.

KEEP IN TOUCH. Your child needs to know that you care about and support him/her and the decisions he/she is making in an effort to become independent. Letters, phone calls, email . . . students LOVE to get mail (even commuters!)

BE INTERESTED. Maintain an honest interest in your child's activities in college, including friendships, class work, and free time . . . but remember . . . they need to be able to grow up as well as away during this time. Your child is more likely to discuss these issues if your first question isn't where he/she was last night when you called!

BE INFORMED. Don't immediately panic if you detect changes in your child that you don't understand or that cause you concern. Ask to talk about it. If he/she is resistant, encourage him/her to seek out a professor or another adult to talk things over, perhaps their Resident Director (RD) or Resident Assistant (RA).

If you have suggested this and still feel that something may be wrong, consider contacting the Resident Director of your child's residence hall. They are in the best position to interact with students on a daily basis, and are trained to refer a student for counseling, if appropriate.

The Counseling Center has qualified professional counselors, experienced in helping college students, available to meet as needed to help your child through the difficulty he/she is facing.

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