How to Prevent Home Sickness for Your College-Bound Child

Johnson HenryMarch 24, 2022

15 2 minutes read

Side view portrait of teenage boy doing homework while lying on bed, using laptop and speaking by phone at same time

Home sickness is common in new college students. But how do you help your child cope without stepping on their toes?

Looking for ways to help your kid feel better as they set out on their own? Here’s how to help your child deal with home sickness while away at school.

Encourage Them to Get Involved Early

The best way for your child to combat homesickness is by staying active and meeting new people. And the best way to accomplish both of those tasks is by getting involved in an activity on campus early in their college career.

Try to encourage your new college student to pursue a non-academic interest by seeking out a club, activity, sports team, or other groups as soon as they arrive on campus. Once your child starts making new friends, exploring new hobbies and interests, and building a life at their school, they’ll feel better about being away from home.

Offer Reassurance

Contrary to what your child might think, home sickness is exceedingly common among college students. They’re not weird or immature because they miss their family, friends, and hometown.

If your child wants to talk to you about missing home, do your best to reassure them that feeling home sick is normal and that once they begin to settle into their new life, that feeling will start to fade.

Teaching your child to start spreading their wings and guiding them to start building their own life is an essential part of growing up. That said, make sure you remind them that if things get too hard you’ll be there, and despite what some people might think, you can always go home again.

Send Care Packages

Phone calls are nice, but there’s nothing quite as comforting to a homesick college student as comfort objects and care packages. Once your student settles into their new living situation, take some time to send them a small collection of goodies from home. Fresh baked cookies, favorite family pictures, and even small stuffed animals, like beanie buddies, will make your child feel loved no matter how far from home they are.

Try to Keep Your Distance

It may seem cruel, one of the best ways to combat homesickness is by leaving your child alone and even forcing them to keep their distance. While you may miss your new college student just as much as they miss you, constant calls, texts, and even visits can do more harm than good and prevent your child from finding their footing in their new home.

While it may hurt, try to limit contact with your child for the first few weeks they’re away and don’t allow them to come home for at least six weeks. Cutting contact a bit will force your child to start establishing a life and routine at their school, which will be critical to building and maintaining a life away from home after they graduate.