The Day After They've Started University - Plans?

[SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace]

Hope it's Ok to start a new thread on this - strikes me as overlapping with anxieties over meningitis jabs, sadness over empty nests, but also distinct.

So: we'll get back late on Saturday night. And then Sunday looms - me, dp and dd2. I feel we absolutely shouldn't be mooching around the house doing Sunday things, but also that a day out anywhere we normally go as a family would be a bit too poignant!

What did anyone do, or what are you planning?

[chemenger]

We started cleaning the mess that her bedroom had been left in! Dealing with the squalor took the edge off missing her .

[SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace]

Wow Chemenger - that's hardcore! Am guessing there was significant work to be done

[GinandJag]

DD2 is going to move into DD1's room.

[SecretSquirrels]

That was the only day I had tears. This was last year.
After that it was far, far easier than I expected. DS2 probably felt he got a little more attention than he was used to as an "only" child.

Actually I think it will be almost as hard this year as he has been back home since June.

[Savagebeauty]

I will be working. DS at school.
It will be nice and quiet

[lubeybooby]

Less than 2 weeks left living with my one and only child (DD)

I've lived with her my whole adult life, and a bit before it (I was 16)

I like to think I'll be OK but I do keep getting a bit choked up with how proud of her I am and how much I miss the younger ages/versions of her.

Anyway! I'll be reclaiming some areas of her room and leaving her a bit for sleeping and storage when she visits

[Decorhate]

We are staying over on the Sat night due to distance so hope to see dd for brunch before we head home. I know it will be hard leaving her there. 18 seems very young to be so far away. It was more usual where I grew up to go to your local uni so h lived at home the whole time & I went home most weekends.

[mrsrhodgilbert]

Dd will only be half an hour away, but as she's so disorganised I can imagine that the next day we'll be heading over again to deliver various forgotten items. I've suggested she doesn't come home for a few weeks. We will still have her older sister at home who is commuting to another university for year three, so not the empty nest we expected.

[Figmentofmyimagination]

I think the one who will be doing the crying in our house will be DD2, aged 16, who will become the sole target of her parents' over enthusiastic attention....

[bigbluebus]

I'm not taking DS - he is going with DH as we couldn't get anyone to look after DD. DH will be staying overnight as it is too far to travel there and back in a day so he won't be back until the Sunday evening. So I shall spend Sunday being worried sick about how DS is coping, whether he has made any friends and if he has drunk all the beer and wine he is taking with him which is supposedly to share with his flat mates.

[SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace]

Thanks for replies!
I wish we were dropping on Sunday, as Monday would be a much better day for just getting on with things... But she has a Saturday slot, and I don't want the Sunday to just be depressing!

[Horsemad]

Dropping off on Sat. I wanted to come home late afternoon, but DH resisting so far

Think DH will be more upset than me, he's always overindulged him so it will be strange for him not to be able to see him when he wants.

I'll be quietly sad especially when I go in his room - mind you, I'm decorating that the week after, so no time to brood

[NiceCardigan]

We are dropping DS on the Sunday and then have two nights booked in a nice hotel by the sea about an hour away. I'm not sure how I'll feel as DS is the youngest but I've helpfully started a new job and am commuting to London so out of the house for much longer.

[brainwashed]

We're dropping off on Saturday....I'm doing a total warrior race on Sunday. ..that should take my mind off things for a bit!

[itmustbeglove]

We're dropping off saturday. We've been invited out to supper by friends to keep our my minds off the trauma.
Sunday will be similar to Chemenger. At least we'll have a bigger selection of glasses, mugs & crockery that is currently under the bed.
I'm not sure if will be able to resist endless texts, which he probably won't reply to.

[bigbluebus]

brainwashed Why? That is all . I don't get why anyone wants to get an electric shock!!! The rest of it I could just about understand

[brainwashed]

bigbluebus I will be walking round the electric shocks...I am a scientist and know about electricity and water...not worth the potential risks imo. The rest is a physical challenge so will try everything else.

[cathyandclaire]

No electric shocks here ( unless there's dd's fairy lights malfunction ) we've booked a deal at a little hotel in the uni town and will eat and drink our sorrows away. We don't really know the area and it looks lovely so it will be good to picture where she is when if she phones home .
It may take me until Christmas to sort out her room too, it's a big job!

[circular]

Another Saturday drop off here. Staying over to be on hand if needed Sunday, but no plans to meet up with DD unless she wants/needs to.
DD2 staying with friends, so will spend some time with her Sunday.
Really don't know how I will feel, expecting DH to blubber.
Back to work Monday, very busy week so won't be able to dwell much.

Started room sorting, hope to get more done when DD packs up clothes. She keeps making noises about how he wants it exactly as she left it when she returns for weekends and holidays. We shall see. .

[Decorhate]

We are swopping bedrooms around after dd goes so that will def take me a few weeks to sort out.

[chemenger]

itmustbeglove - so true, we now have too many glasses for the cupboard, I think we will drop some off with dd the next time we see her. I have bleached the moldy cups as well.

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

DD is going back for her second year next week. Last year I went up to her room after we got home to see what sort of state it was in. It was too empty, so many of her precious things had gone with her. I sat on her bed and cried my heart out. I didn't have anything planned for the next day so it was dreadful.

This year it will be better. It will. It really will. Or so I keep telling myself.

[Isthiscorrect]

Ds going into his second year, but has only been home for 2 and a 1/2 weeks. I went to see him for a week and dh is visiting him (nearby hotel) on and off this week, whilst he visits his parents and friends around the country.
So nothing planned.
Last year was different. We live os and Ds left early July. We caught up with him a couple of times over the summer. But I put my foot down when it came to taking him to uni. I was adamant that I wanted good memories for when we dropped him off, given we wouldn't see him until Christmas. We all 3 of us drove together to his uni city and stayed two nights for us and one night for Ds. We saw the poppies at the Tower of London, shopped in Liberties, had lovely food and drinks. We made some very happy memories. The next day we went for a walk in the park together and took some photos then dropped him off don't mention the parking ticket grrrrr and left after what seemed an indecently short space of time. Dh and I did more shopping eating and drinking. We then left for the airport the following morning after waking Ds very early (in student terms) to say goodbye where upon I sobbed (silently) all the way to the airport and on th flight and then home. We are still very close and I miss him very much but he is having so much fun and working so hard that I can, now, be nothing but thrilled for him to have those opportunities.
Sorry for rambling.

[Millipedewithherfeetup]

Dropping dd off today !!! Have no idea on tomorrow............just trying to keep it together today feeling incredibly tearful.

[Horsemad]

Good Luck millipede