Bye Mom, Hello Uni!

It’s that time of year when we help our grown children pack up and leave the family home. University for them, now-idle bedroom converted to a hobby room for us.

Life is good.

So, what’s on the packing list? There is a packing list, right? If not, you will be shipping multiple packages for months, full of forgotten boots, tennis rackets, special shampoos, or favorite jammies.

Bedding. Take a look at your child’s bed and add everything you see to the list. Pillows, sheets, blankets, throw pillows, possibly stuffed animals will all make the list. Plus, an anti-bedbug mattress cover and some sort of feather or foam mattress topper to provide cushioning for what is sure to be a hard mattress.

Room stuff. If you know how big the room is and what’s already in it, this part should be easy. Things to consider: seating (chair, beanbag, futon, whatever), lamps, desk, rugs, small table(s), trashcans, storage bins for under the bed and bed risers to make more room for the bins, hangers and storage bins for the closet, large mirror, curtains and rods, wall décor, fridge, fan. Well, that’s a start.

Bathroom items. This is the tough one because you’ll need to go into your child’s bathroom in order to fill out the list. Take your child with you — no sense in suffering alone. Starting from one corner of the room, inspect every inch of the space, making your way completely around the room while noting items for the list. Don’t forget essential but non-personal objects such as toilet paper and cotton balls.

Medical/Legal necessities. Note all prescription and over-the-counter medicines your child takes, even those taken only occasionally. Plus, list any documents that will need to be in the possession of your grown child. Note: it’s critical that you make copies of all documents you send with your child. When possible, send the copy and keep the original. Think passport, health/car/renters insurance, birth certificate, social security, bank accounts, really all the documents you’ve kept safely filed away, you’ll now have to entrust to your grown child.

Odds and ends. There are helpful lists on the internet that mention hundreds of necessary and unnecessary items your child may need to pack for university. It’s a good idea to browse those lists and compare yours for missing items. Some overlooked things we find useful for grown children packing for university are earplugs, duct tape, umbrella, flashlight, deck of cards, small toolkit, and a sleep mask.

And finally, help them live life in full motion. Slip a Reliefband® on your young adult’s wrist and explain how to use it. It’s drug-free wearable tech that treats the nausea, retching, and vomiting associated with VR-related motion sickness. He or she will be prepared for the next epic all-day battle in Raw Data or Chronos, right after he/she aces the tests for the week.

If they are wearing a Reliefband®, they won’t need mom or dad there to treat the nasty symptoms of motion sickness caused by VR, or those caused by riding in cars/planes/boats.

That’s a good thing . . . right? Sniff.