With postsecondary institutions increasingly drawing on parents to help launch first-year students, many parents would benefit from more guidance on how to support their children, writes Philip A Glotzbach (Skidmore College). Glotzbach offers several guidelines that institutions can share with parents to lay the groundwork for constructive interaction, including embracing their student’s new level of autonomy and encouraging their student to stay focused on their studies while pursuing adjacent activities that contribute to personal growth. Glotzbach notes that parents should be intentional about letting go: Students must learn to solve their own problems, with parents only seeking help on their behalf in extenuating circumstances.
