Monday, August 22, 2011

Make the most of your empty nest

Jillian Briggs, a University of Illinois Springfield admissions counselor, said, “I tend to be sympathetic toward parents sending their children off to school. Wanting to help your child isn’t the worst thing in the world. Parents just have to remember that this is a transition point. Students need to learn to take responsibility for what’s happening in their lives.”

If you accompany your student as she visits various campus offices, Briggs suggests you listen as much as you speak.

“I love when parents want to ask questions. It makes the visit better — more interactive and fun for the student, rather than me doing all the talking, but parents should also encourage their children to ask about their own questions and concerns, too,” Briggs said. “They’re going to have to learn to ask their own questions in college.”

Briggs was featured in an August 21, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.

Read the article online