To ask what emergency supplies you send with your DC when they start uni?

[EmptyNesterSoon]

DD2 is off to uni in a fortnight.

When DD1 went I put together a small storage crate full of chemist items, first aid stuff, cough and cold remedies (lucky I did as she was really laid low with freshers' flu within a week of arrival). Emergency hangover kit - long life vegetable and fruit juices like V8, long life milk and breakfast bars so she could lie in bed and restore herself. Homesickness treats - fluffy socks and lots of chocolate and a cuddly toy.
And a few more serious items like drink spike test strips.

When DD's friend went to uni last year I did similar for her too as she has lost her Mum.

Now it is DD2's turn, so I made a start today in Boots with extra advice from a helpful chap on the pharmacy till.

Just wondering if others do this too and if so what items do you put in?

Condoms

Is she catering for herself or eating in halls? I would put in things to make boring hall meals, takeaway and home cooked meals a bit more interesting, chilli oil, sweet chilli dipping sauce, soy sauce, brown sauce. I gave my niece a popcorn maker, it was a good ice breaker in her shared accommodation.

I hadn’t thought about any of this

I was just planning to send her off with bedding, clothes and some kitchen stuff!

Good ideas.

Condoms!! In fact I did put some in for DD1 along with a pregnancy test but I did it mainly as I thought it would give her the opportunity to bond with her new flat mates with a "look what my Mum did" show and tell. Which she just recently agreed it did give them all a good laugh on their first night getting to know each other.

But DD2 is very shy and I think she would be mortified so I'm not going there.

Popcorn maker is a good idea! She'd love that.
I'm rather thinking it's going to be good for her to do her own catering so I'm inclined to leave her to get on with it as far as that goes. But a few standbys would be useful.

Food wise - some things that are maybe ‘pricier’ on tight budget, but nice to have to study in evenings. Favourite teas, coffee, hot chocolate. Chocolate. Shortbread.

If they like cooking - then a basic collection of spices and herbs. Again, when starting from scratch they can cost a fair bit if you need everything from the start even basics like salt. Salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, etc.. you will know they type of things they like and use.

Sent DS1 off with cold remedies, first aid kit, similar emergency food items that OP mentioned. He already had the condoms …
He was grateful for the night nurse capsules as he got freshers flu almost straight away.

And don’t forget to pack coat hangers.

not a food item as such, but a student meal shop card thingy from sainsbury's at the time, son said it was invaluable, you load a cash sum onto the card your end and it appears on theirs at the other, cant be used against alcohol.

What a lovely idea!

Could you start off her toiletries?

Bobbles and hair grips

My mum packed me off with a tube of berocca so I didn't get scurvy

Berrocca (brilliant for hangovers) together with a tin of Heinz tomato soup - seriously, try it! And Diahorrea tablets.

The usual first aid kit, bedding, vodka, snacks... plus an air fryer (just a cheap one) and some oven trays. Interestingly DS was the only one with these items and all the other students in his shared accommodation used them.

The oven trays got binned at the end of last year but the air fryer will do another year.

Cross Post on the Berrocca!

I did similar. Have you put anti-histamines in it? I made up two boxes: the medicines one I did together with ds, so no surprises but he understood what to use when, but then I made up a separate food emergency box, which included tinned fish, Sacla pesto, Sacle pasta sauce and macaroni, so that he could have some easy emergency meals. Sacla because it's a family favourite, plus has the advantage of being small jars of intense flavour. He was proud to bring the box back untouched at the end of his first year

The usual, medical, bags of change for laundry plus larder basics, herbs, oils, flours, seasonings etc., he loves to cook and a store cupboard is expensive.
An old fashioned note book with all of the family/emergency numbers should he forget to charge.
Photos of the pets (so he wants to come home for visits )

My mum used to do the same for me.

Other stuff she included: posh shampoo & conditioner, clothes detergent, cocktail mixers/syrups, sweets, fancy mug, hot choc,

Lovely idea.

Parcels after she arrives are the best as well
My mum used to send me random post like perfume samples, a nail polish, face mask, sweets, a book or magazine, posh shower gel, supermarket vouchers....

That would have all come home unopened by my eldest lad.
Best thing was a 5kg bag of pasta and a cushion I'd had printed with photos of our then kittens.

@NotMyCat

Parcels after she arrives are the best as well My mum used to send me random post like perfume samples, a nail polish, face mask, sweets, a book or magazine, posh shower gel, supermarket vouchers....

Yes parcels - I had one my 1st week, only a wooden spoon and tea towel, but I remember thinking it was fab!

Pint glasses.

Good loo roll.

Thanks for this thread @EmptyNesterSoon my dd is off to uni soon and id been wondering what to put in her package, id got as far as headache pills and a joke item so like you they could have a giggle over it as a kind of ice breaker, but my joke item was a penis ashtray 😂

Someone o went to uni with had this with a £50 gift card for the nearest supermarket for an emergency food shop

Wow I must be terrible mother. All I did was get them a credit card in their name as an authorised user on my account. That way they can buy anything they need in an emergency. Stuff, plane tickets, hotel, etc.

I Didn’t send my ds with anything.. have transferred plenty of cash over the years. But now starting to realise that I am an awful mother after reading how much effort you all make.