Coing Home for Thanksgiving

It's tradition for college kids, particularly freshmen, to head on home for the Thanksgiving Holidays. After months of being away from home for the first time, who wouldn't want to be back? A parent-writer in the New York Times Parenting Section talks about how being home can show just how much one has changed since the college adventure began. Leaving for college meant independence, but does coming home for Thanksgiving mean we're not all that independent just yet? Or does it allow for a gradual reduction of our dependence on our parents? Maybe parents have loosened up on "rules" since, after all, we've been on our own for the past two months. Maybe they're overbearing and just want to know about everything that's happened at college. The parent-writer ponders about how she should approach her own college freshman who is making his way home this weekend.

"What most parents want during visits home is a chance to take their child’s emotional temperature in ways that can’t happen in text messages or even video chats."

She does not want to be the interrogator, yet still wants to get a sense of her son's "emotional temperature." Inevitably, the relationship between her and her son will have changed from the time they last saw each other -- hopefully in a positive way. She claims that parents may feel conflicted in how to deal with the young adult that has come home for a temporary stay. The goal would be to find that perfect balance between giving space and catching up.

So I guess we can ask ourselves related questions at this time of our college career, as we can see the contrast between our college home and 'actual' home. Are your parents treating you differently? How much have you changed or grown?