Going home for summer break may be hard to get used to since you have been living without a lot of rules all school-year long. Your parents may want you home at a certain time, but you are used to coming and going whenever you please. Your parents may not want you sleeping until 1pm every day, but you feel that you deserve a break since you worked so hard throughout the school year. These kinds of disagreements can easily escalate into full-blown fights and make summer break disastrous for everyone involved. Here is how to prevent arguments with your parents and have an enjoyable summer break.

Initiate discussion. If you go home for summer break and your parents treat you like a child, ask if they have time to sit down and discuss some independence issues you are having. By having an adult conversation with them, they will realize that you aren’t a child anymore and should start treating you like a responsible adult.

Compromise. Having an adult relationship with your parents means being able to compromise. If your parents want you home by curfew, try to bargain with them by telling them you will call when you are going to be late. If your parents let you borrow the family car, show that you appreciate their gesture by pitching in on household chores.

Show respect. You should treat your parents with the same degree of courtesy as you would anyone else with whom you were living. That means you should pick up after yourself and turn down the volume on your radio or TV while others are sleeping. If you show your parents respect, they will more than likely treat you like an adult and allow you more privileges.

Appreciate your parents’ concerns. When your parents treat you like a child and try to enforce rules upon you, they are doing it for your well-being. They want you to be safe. Even though you may not like the fact that they worry so much about you, try to understand from where they are coming. You would be worried about your parents if they weren’t home by 4 in the morning, wouldn’t you?

Spend quality time with your parents. When you come home for the summer, your parents want to spend time with you. Try to make time for them and don’t spend your whole summer hanging out with friends. You should be able to adjust your schedule so you can spend time with all the people you care about, including parents, siblings, old friends, and new friends. Spending quality time with your parents is crucial in forming an adult relationship with them.

If you are going home for the summer, you may find that you run into a few confrontations with your parents because they want you to follow the same rules of the household as you did before you went away to college. By following the tips listed above, not only will you avoid conflict with your parents, but you will also show them that you should be treated like a responsible adult.

Because space is limited in dorm rooms, knowing what to pack and what to leave at home is crucial. Your teen will probably want to pack most of her belongings, so you may need to coach her on what should be left behind. If you need to purchase items, amazon and dormco.comhave extensive selections of products for the dorm room. Here is a guide to help you and your child pack for dorm room living.

What to Pack

The Big Stuff
Make sure your student gets in contact with his roommate before purchasing any big items for the dorm room. They can divide up what to bring so there will be enough space for everything. These big items may include:

• Mini fridge
• Microwave (if allowed by the college)
• TV
• Seating

Room Essentials
The dorm room should be your child’s home away from home, so don’t forget to pack:

• Bedding (extra long twin-size sheets, comforter, pillows, mattress pad)
• Computer
• Desk lamp
• Phone
• Alarm clock
• Rug
• Wastebasket
• Filing cabinet
• Small fan

Clothing
If your teen will be able to come home from time to time during the school year, she doesn’t need to pack clothes for every season. She should pack for one season and then switch the clothes out the next time she is home. This will leave her with a lot more closet space. Just make sure she packs:

• Jeans
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Long sleeved shirts
• Walking shoes
• 10-day supply of underwear and socks
• Two formal outfits
• Swimsuit
• Raincoat
• Pajamas

Laundry Essentials
You won’t be there to do laundry for your child, but you can make sure he has the right items to do it himself.

• Laundry bag
• Detergent
• Fabric softener
• Stain remover stick
• Rolls of quarters
• Sewing kit
• Iron

Toiletries
Your child will have to share a bathroom, so be sure to pack a tote so she can carry the following items to and from the restroom:

• Shampoo/conditioner
• Soap
• Razor
• Deodorant
• Comb/brush
• Toothbrush/toothpaste/dental floss
• Lotion
• Hair dryer
• Towels/washcloths
• Robe
• Shower shoes
• Makeup/perfume

Miscellaneous Items
These items are often overlooked during the packing process, so be sure to put them on your child’s list:

• Hangers
• Umbrella
• First-aid kit
• Mp3 player
• Checkbook
• Health Insurance Info
• Cleaning supplies
• Flashlight
• Surge Protectors
• Basic tools
• Plastic cups/plates/utensils

What to Leave at Home

Basic Furniture
The dorm room should already be furnished with the basics, so leave these items at home:

• Bed
• Dresser
• Desk
• Desk chair

Objectionable Items
Your child’s college has a list of items that students CANNOT bring, so be sure to check that list. The most common items on these lists are:

• Some electric appliances
• Candles
• Halogen lamps
• Gas/charcoal grills
• Weapons
• Explosives/fireworks
• Pets

Items She Just Thinks She Can’t Live Without
Because your teen is so used to her bedroom at home, she probably wants to pack as many items from her room as possible to try and recreate it. But make sure she keeps it at a minimum; there will not be room for:

• Her collection of stuffed animals (she should pick out her favorite one)
• High school yearbooks
• A lot of frames with pics of family, friends, pets, etc. (she should toss out the picture frames and make a collage to hang on the wall instead)
• Knickknacks

For tips on how to make your teen’s dorm room a cozy place to live, read Dorm Room Decorating.

Going home for summer break may be hard to get used to since you have been living without a lot of rules all school-year long. Your parents may want you home at a certain time, but you are used to coming and going whenever you please. Your parents may not want you sleeping until 1pm every day, but you feel that you deserve a break since you worked so hard throughout the school year. These kinds of disagreements can easily escalate into full-blown fights and make summer break disastrous for everyone involved. Here is how to prevent arguments with your parents and have an enjoyable summer break.

Initiate discussion. If you go home for summer break and your parents treat you like a child, ask if they have time to sit down and discuss some independence issues you are having. By having an adult conversation with them, they will realize that you aren’t a child anymore and should start treating you like a responsible adult.

Compromise. Having an adult relationship with your parents means being able to compromise. If your parents want you home by curfew, try to bargain with them by telling them you will call when you are going to be late. If your parents let you borrow the family car, show that you appreciate their gesture by pitching in on household chores.

Show respect. You should treat your parents with the same degree of courtesy as you would anyone else you were living with. That means you should pick up after yourself and turn down the volume on your radio or TV while others are sleeping. If you show your parents respect, they will more than likely treat you like an adult and allow you more privileges.

Appreciate your parents’ concerns. When your parents treat you like a child and try to enforce rules upon you, they are doing it for your well-being. They want you to be safe. Even though you may not like the fact that they worry so much about you, try to understand where they are coming from. You would be worried about your parents if they weren’t home by 4 in the morning, wouldn’t you?

Spend quality time with your parents. When you come home for the summer, your parents want to spend time with you. Try to make time for them and don’t spend your whole summer hanging out with friends. You should be able to adjust your schedule so you can spend time with all the people you care about, including parents, siblings, old friends, and new friends. Spending quality time with your parents is crucial in forming an adult relationship with them.

If you are going home for the summer, you may find that you run into a few confrontations with your parents because they want you to follow the same rules of the household as you did before you went away to college. By following the tips listed above, not only will you avoid conflict with your parents, but you will also show them that you should be treated like a responsible adult.

Hey parents, need gift ideas for your graduating college senior? Here are some ideas to help you select the best graduation gift for your son or daughter.

Money. The most popular college graduation gift is money. As long as you don’t care how it gets spent, feel free to write a check and stick it in a graduation card. It may not seem very heartfelt to you, but it is usually the most wanted gift of graduates.

Gift cards. If you worry that your graduate may not make the best financial decisions, you may want to give gift cards instead of cash. These can range from gas cards to grocery store gift cards. Your graduate will need all the financial help she can get as she transitions from college student to working adult.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). PDAs have a variety of functions. They can be used as mobile phones, web browsers, portable media players, calendars/organizers, etc. Any grad would appreciate this multifunctional gift.

Watch. A watch is a great graduation present because it can be engraved with a special message to show your child how proud you are of him. Plus, your college grad will need it to keep him on time for his new job.

Briefcase. Depending on what line of work your grad will be pursuing, a briefcase may be the ideal gift. A briefcase will give your child a more polished and professional look as he begins his new career. Look for one that is both practical and attractive.

Travel package. Does your college grad want to do a little traveling before she dives into the working world? Find out where she wants to go and purchase a travel package for her.

Luggage. Now that your child has graduated from college, mismatched suitcases and duffel bags will need to be replaced with more professional-looking luggage for business trips. While black is usually the color of choice, you may want to pick a travel kit with a subtle pattern or color, so your child can easily identify his luggage at baggage claim.

Notebook computer. If your child has had the same computer all through college, now may be a good time for an upgrade.

Diploma frame. After all those years of hard work, you don’t want your graduate’s hard-earned diploma to end up in a box. Get her diploma matted and framed, so she can proudly display it.

Prepaid cell phone cards. Is your grad relocating for a new job? Remind him to call home every now and then with the gift of prepaid cell phone cards.

If you think of anything else that would be beneficial for a college graduate to have, don’t be afraid to buy it. Your child will appreciate anything that you give him.