Dear Husband and I just returned from spending Parents’ weekend in Boston with dear Sophie. And while we had a terrific time, I have a few tips for next year’s Parents’ weekend. Lessons learned!
This was our first Parents’ weekend- and it was so great to see Sophie, her dorm room, and experience a bit of life on campus. We did some things well and other things could have been better. So I’m going to share some recommendations for making your visit the best it can be.
Pick a hotel near the campus
This might be a no-brainer to most of you, but after Day 2 of racking up Uber charges, this finally occurred to me. Although we love the Kimpton and have stayed there several times, it’s just not convenient for Sophie’s campus. Not only it did take us time to get back and forth, it was expensive. And it made taking a nice afternoon chill break in the hotel a pricey endeavor.
Next time, we’ll find a place that’s in walking distance of the campus (ideally her dorm) and slash our Uber charges by 80%, easy!
Make room in your suitcase- both ways
Sophie’s texts of “please bring X when you come to Boston” were increasing as our departure date approached. Dear Husband and I were starting to negotiate who was taking what. “I’ll take the shoes and the sweater if you take the handbag.” That sort of thing. I probably should have counted on this and packed more lightly from the get-go.
And although we didn’t do this, it probably would have made sense to bring a few things home for Sophie. Storing and moving stuff year after year gets to be a hassle, and I am sure there are some items that she wouldn’t mind sending back to her room at home.
Plan on taking friends out to dinner
Do you remember being a college student? I do- and I absolutely loved it when my parents or their friends were in town. It meant I got a free meal- and one that wasn’t dining hall fare! I still remember having a glass of champagne in the lobby of the Four Seasons in DC as a sophomore- courtesy of family friends in town. It might have been the highlight of that entire year. (I certainly remember it better than the Intensive Chinese II class that I was taking!)
So be the generous out-of-town parents who take your child’s friends out for a couple of meals. Not only are you setting a nice tradition, but you’ll also get to see your kid interacting with her friends. And reassure you that she’s hanging out with other good kids. Both of which were accomplished over the course of 2 dinners in Boston.
Realize that you don’t get 100% of your child’s time
Yes, you flew across the country. But that doesn’t mean you get every bit of your student’s free time. Sophie had classes, homework, and a birthday party. On top of a sleeping schedule that didn’t exactly match up with our “early to bed, early to rise” ethos. She needed to live her life. Of course you have the right to spend a decent chunk of time with your student- just not every waking hour.
We used some of that time to do our own thing- we went to see the USS Constitution, which was more interesting than I expected it to be.
But plan some family-only time
While it’s great to meet friends and let your child “do her thing” (a bit), try to schedule time when it’s just your core family. We had chill time in our hotel room each afternoon- watching Law & Order: SVU (family tradition!) and snacking on brownies. We attended a few Parents’ weekend events and ate in the dining hall a couple of times. And best of all, visited the MIT Museum and had a very long walk around Cambridge. By the time we packed up to go home, we all felt like we had had some good family bonding time.
Parents’ weekend was terrific and well worth the visit to Boston. And the next one will be even better, if I remember these tips.
