Page 30 - UMKC Parent and Family Insider

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
By Marlene Kern Fischer
With winter break approaching, you may be dreaming of
cozy evenings playing family board games, a fire crackling in the fireplace. Or maybe everyone is squeezed on the couch watching a movie and sharing a big bucket of popcorn. While I’m sure there are families for whom these visions will come true, for most of us winter break may turn out a little differently and it can help to be prepared.
fffThe first day or two back, your new college student will sleep a lot. Exhausted from finals, they will burrow into their clean, comfy bed and slumber like they did as a baby. Go ahead — peek in on them and allow the sight to fill your heart with joy. I suggest taking a good long look, because after they catch up on rest you may not see much of them for the remainder of their break.
Having been separated from their high school friends (and possibly a significant other), they will want to pick up where they left off and those reunions will be time consuming. In fact, there may be days
you feel they’re using the house as merely a snack bar or drop-off Laundromat in between various social activities.
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