Sending a care package is a great way to let your child in college know you’re thinking of him, but many parents are confused about the best items to send. Here are some suggestions:
In this post:
1. Moolah, Dough, The Green Stuff
That’s right, you guessed it! Money. College kids NEED money. I’ll be honest…when I first moved out on my own, I had NO CLUE how to manage my finances. I didn’t even know the right way to write out a check. I bounced between rationing food to spend as little as possible, buying expensive things I really didn’t need, and ending up in trouble.
I just couldn’t find a middle ground, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I doubt there is a college student out there that would turn his or her nose up at a little extra cash…and if you have any leftovers, I’ll be glad to give you my address. (On a side note, if you are the parent of a…ahem…” free spirit,” you may want to consider buying a gift card to Walmart or a local grocery store to be sure that your gift is put to good use).
2. Homemade Cookies
College kids are very good at finding junk food…that’s how we gain the freshman 15. We don’t like to cook…that was Mom’s job. However, one thing we can’t find is a good homemade cookie. Packaged cookies just don’t cut it, and we need this comfort food to survive midterms…and relationships. So here are some of the best cookie recipes we could find.
3. Quick-Prep Foods
This can include ramen noodles, ravioli, canned soups, and any other item you can find that takes less than 5 minutes to cook and doesn’t require culinary skills or refrigeration. This will prevent your child from living off Doritos and peanut butter.
4. Chapstick and/or Lotion
This may seem silly, but I really wish my mom would have sent me some of these things for college. These are things I am simply not willing to buy, and even if I were, I would never remember to get them while I was in the store. If your son or daughter goes to a school anything like mine, going to class involves a lot of time spent outside. In the winter, this can mean painfully dry lips and skin.
5. A Card from Mom and Dad
Yes, I’m sure this comes as a surprise as you think about the insensitive way your child shoved you out the door on move-in day, but believe it or not, he or she misses you even if it isn’t made obvious. An encouraging card from Mom and Dad is just the thing to brighten their day and give them that boost of confidence they need for tomorrow’s test.
