Make Them Smile, Not Cry

As the time comes to sending a kid off to college for the very first time it can be a very trying time on both parent and child. Most children want badly to be independent and really do want to make the most of their time away from home, but the initial transition can leave them both sad and lonesome.
Almost all parents want to make their child's college experience and time away from home both successful and productive as this will enable them to not only gain their independence but to begin their very own life which is an vital part of this transitory phase of life. In order to do so a parent must temper their ability to be there for their child with the capacity to butt out a little and for some parents this can be a bit of a challenge. As a matter of fact some parents find this downright unattainable.
For parents who are really trying to find ways to be helpful to their children the very last thing that your child needs is reminders of home. During the first few months of college most freshmen are already laser focused, and in some cases even fixated on home, so while parents may think it helpful to send those reminders from home it is truly not the better possible idea if your goal is to help your child shift.
Shipping new items to your child along with things that are distinctive will allow them to know that you are thinking of them without triggering that homesick response and will really help to get them over the hump. It is also crucial to send funny, happy stuff to your college freshman as opposed to sending them sappy, mushy, I miss you items that may do more to make them sad than happy. Natually, if your freshman makes a specific request of you, like for their preferred home baked cookies, then by all means fill that request as this will mean so much to them.
All in all many well meaning parents actually wind up hurting their college freshman more than helping them by sending them nostalgic items while they are away. Instead of doing this pick them up a nice new item for their dorm room or living space or send them a gift card to go shopping. It is always nice to receive items from home that don't send you crying into your pillow at night.