It’s crazy to think that in the blink of an eye, 18 years can pass by instantly. You think about this moment when you are dropping them off or putting them on the bus for their first day. You try to prepare mentally, but when the day comes, it’s a mix of overwhelmingly happy and proud, and maybe a hit of sadness because you know they are growing up. Soon they will be in the next steps of their lives, and you’ll be buying their essentials for them to take to college with them.
The Graduation Ceremony
What do you get them for graduation? Money? Gift Cards? Things for their next steps into college? While monetary gifts are great, they can best serve as an add on to something a bit more sentimental. If you have the time to create something with slightly more sentimental value, try making a sweatshirt/t-shirt blanket. You can use old t-shirts and sweatshirt patches from your favorite vacations that you have taken with them; this is great even if you are not good with a needle and thread. With the use of technology, you can cut the patches out yourself and send them off to various companies to have them stitched together.
If that’s not your style, take a look at memory books from Shutterfly. This is great for them to take with them to college to have in case they might get a little homesick if they are going to a college that is a ways from home. Adding in pictures from when they were little up until the present time can help give them a touch of home while they are away studying those heavy books from college.
College Visits
Try and make each college visit you take with them memorable. This is a huge next step in their lives. Going on visits with them can often be unique because you are helping to guide them into that next step of their lives. Take pictures, get t-shirts, plan to have lunch there on campus if the campus allows. This is a great way to make memories with them while looking into what the next four years of their lives might look like.
Take Time To Remember It
While you may want to record and capture every second with your phone, take time to soak at the moment without your phone. Make sure you are in the moment and able to remember what happened. You retain and remember more when you can take in rather than looking through the viewfinder on a camera or phone.
Have fun, and remember that this is one of the biggest days of their lives. Ensure they enjoy their day and that this is the first step into the next chapter of their lives.