Preparing Your Student for College

So obviously I don't write from personal experience on sending a child off to college and I don't understand the emotions or anxieties that you are experiencing about your child returning or going off to school for the first time. My current anxieties as a parent are focused on keeping my toddler from either flushing or throwing away my keys or cell phone. What I write comes from lessons I have learned from my time spent in both the youth and college ministry and watching how different students react to their new environments. I by no means want to come off arrogant or try to say I know more about parenting that you do, but here are a few things I have learned about parenting a college student.

1.) Don't Underestimate the influence you have on their life-Even though they are growing up and may not act like it they still want your input on key decisions such as majors, church, dating, and basically every other aspect of their lives at home and school. You may choose to hold back your feedback on every trivial choice they make but don't do this key issues that impact their future in major ways, especially when you see them walking down a risky path. You have the wisdom and experience because you have already been through this phase of life, not only do they need it but most of the time they want it!

2.) Stay plugged into their spiritual life-PRAY, PRAY, PRAY FOR YOUR STUDENT!!! College becomes a tougher environment every semester. The first key to staying plugged in is to do this very simple yet necessary act. Continue to talk to them about their walk with Christ; even if you are afraid of what the answer might be. They need your accountability to remain faithful to God. Now is not the time to pull away from influencing them spiritually.

This thought continues with impressing upon them the necessity of consistent church attendance at a Bible teaching congregation. Church attendance will not happen by accident, and you need to be a driving force in their consistency. Many parents feel the need to began to let their children make their own decisions which is good in many situations. But not this one. You must encourage your student to remain faithful in church attendance. For many college students once church attendance begins to slide teh spritaul disciplines are closely behind and moral failure is soon to follow. Don't allow this to be an area where they begin to make their own choices, church attendance is a must! To help in this process make finding a new church in their community part of your move in routine.

3.) Express unconditional Love-I once heard it said there is a time and place for everything, it's called college. From the get go continue to remind your child that no matter what mistakes and decisions they make you will love them just the same. At some point your child will most likely make a moral decision that you do not agree with and could cause you a lot of heart ache. But continue to remind them of your unconditional love, this will help create an enviroment of openness and trust. When they fully trust you and your love there is a better chance of learning about a behavioral pattern before it spirals out of control. And with an eviroment of love and trust you will still have the opportunity to speak truth into their lives and love and lead them through mistakes. You will love them no matter what, just make sure they know this.

It is not profund but foundational. I pray the best for your college student's studies but more importantly their spritual lives. With your prayers and influence your student can be sucsessful in every aspect of thier spritual lives.