College - How Mom Has Six Years to Conquer Her Fears

Once a year, we try to take our daughters to our Alma Mater. 

Our family loves this college!  It is where we met, married and even came back with baby strollers; proudly displaying our grandest (and cutest) accomplishments.

Even with that said, the most important reason that we visit this university is that we believe in higher education and the ability of finding your passion in order to determine your career path.

We want our daughters to understand that anything is possible and that all they have to do is study hard to get there.

This year, that realization that college is going to take a bit more effort on all of our parts really sunk in.

As we went into our old dormitorys, our girls giggling with excitement at who will take the top bunk, my stomach did a little lurch.

How will the girls manage this rite of passage that includes late nights, junk food and sleeping in without adult supervision?  And really, that is just the tip of the 18-22 -year old iceberg.  We all know about college drinking.

It all seems overwhelming to think about it.

One of the local mothers that has lived through this college experience gave me the wisdom of starting planning now.

I thought that was a little odd as we have at least six years before the time comes.   After listening to her though, I am now convinced.  A lot of this is really about giving your kids the responsibility to stand on their own before they have to do it.

Little things like teaching the kids to shop for groceries, help make meals, understand good and not-so-good carbohydrates, and even holding a job where they are responsible for being in good blood sugar range.

She even went further in suggesting that kids get involved in their later teens with organizing and ordering their supplies, getting to know their pharmacist and durable medical goods supplier.  Even under  18, kids can still be there with their parents, listening and learning how insurance system works.

And perhaps this is basic, no big deal information that you might have already put into place without living with type 1 diabetes - however, for our kids, we absolutely have to give them the tools that they need to live successfully. 

I thought about the dreaded sleepovers that seem to be happening with a higher frequency now that my daughters are older and how hard it is to manage.  Even this step, controlled in the sense that I am never too far away - unlike college, is important in giving my girls the chance to take the reins for self care.  Mistakes inevitably happen but the learning that follows is great.  They rarely repeat that error and instead, grow more wise and sure of themselves.

At least for me, because I need to know that in six years, I have given them all of the knowledge that I could in order for ALL of us to enjoy the college years with confidence.

Oh, and GO STATE!