I know it's hard. Some kids never get homesick, but my daughter sure did. It will get better.

Poor kid! It would be very hard to be in a new place and not know anyone, and have no scheduled activities yet. Why did she have to move in over a week early? When she went to college, my niece moved in the weekend before classes started. That was nice, she didn't have time to get homesick before she got busy.

At least she admitted it to you, mine waited a whole year before admitting it to me. She was always too busy to talk on the phone and didn't want to come home on the weekends, she finally told me after I struggled with the "rejection" that it hurt her too much to talk or come home because she was so homesick that she was afraid she wouldn't stay in school and knew "I'd" be disappointed in her. It's a growing process with many tears and heartaches for both. send her a nice card...NOT I miss you but a hang in there type. Soon she'll get busy and adjust more. They are so anxious to leave and be an adult but when they are gone the big world isn't always as nice as home.
Hang in there Stacy, hugs to you both.
Diane

Stacy, she can call me anytime. I am sending you an email.

Moni

Our youngest DD was homesick, I tried to encourage her to do something....anything! Its something she's got to work out Stacy. It hurts Mom though. At first the girls drove home every week-end! It was only a 2 hour trip so not bad. They find their niche soon though. Just keep encouraging her to look for things she hasn't seen or done there.

Thanks everyone!! Oh moni I will go check my email How sweet you are!! She didn't really have to move in so soon wanted to and her best friend Rachel is there also but she is just homesick I guess......I will check Monis email and then my sis-in-law (the one going thru the unexpected divorece) said she and Jayden (the gd she is raising would try and get to where they can take her out this weekend for lunch or dinner)....I too think she misses her boyfriend....he has another year of high school and is working this summer so she hasn't seen him and she was used to seeing him every day!! so I am off to find a cute fun card for her and some other stuff....don't know what but something to make her smile...I wish I could find Better Cheddars they are her fav. cracker but the last place i found them was in missouri! Stacy

don't worry..it's rather dauting to be such a little fish in such a big pond...next time you talk to her, suggest she try out the gym facilities..most campus have them, and she might meet someone she knows...

When I first went to college my parents had come to visit. I tried to be strong, but seeing them leave after the visit was harder than the first day! They could tell. The next day they had a big basket of daisies sent to me. Every time I see daisies I think of that. It still means a lot to me.

I think you should send Syd some flowers. Maybe daisies. ;o) Whatever she'd like. It will brighten the room and remind her you're thinking of her.

Good idea Stephanie. I was just thinking the same thing. I was reading you can find Better Cheddars at Wal-mart. I don't know for sure, as I've never looked for them myself. I may have to try them now.
Leslie

I know that I've mentioned that my daughter goes to college in the same town where we live (so of course can come home whenever she wants) but she gets so busy that sometimes it's literally weeks before I see her.
I know that it helps her that she has many many pictures not only of her friends but lots of childhood pictures. I noticed that the first picture she put out in her new apartment is a picture when she was 4 with her new baby sister and my brother. She also decorates with all sorts of things, things that were mine as a teenager, things that belonged to my mother. I guess I'm saying she's surrounded by things that remind her constantly of the people who love her. Sydney may have things like that, but it's a suggestion. I think having some old familiar things around her would help.

Aww, that would make me sad too. I hope she will take advantage of the activities that usually take place before school starts.
Does she like to exercise? Is there a health club near by she can join? Maybe the school rec building has a work out dept. I'm sure you two can think up something. She could ask her room mate to go with her to the park or the mall or the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, which is only about 15 mins away. ( Since my mom lives in Stillwater we go to OK City occasionally.)

I feel for you Stacy. With Kevin going to the University on the 21st I'm starting to feeling nervous. After living in his same room for 18 years and having privacy for so long, I'm not sure he is realizing the big changes ahead of him. I don't say much, everyone there is going through the same thing to some extent anyway. We'll see how things dish out in a couple weeks. Thankfully he will have at least 3 good friends withing a few minutes of each other. We only live 1 and 1/2 hours from school. Kevins room mate lives 6 hours from school and from what I've seen, I'm guessing he has a very active social life. Could be exciting to see how this all pans out.

I'm sending out positive thoughts for Syd. I'm betting she'll be great there.

Great idea Syd's fav fav flower is daisies...and I will looked at our better cheddar....I looked at our walmart here they didn't have any and also HEB didn't! My sister just called and she and I and our Mom are having a day out thursday so I am going to start collecting things to make her a care pkg and get inthe mail to her friday....the daisys I can do today! stacy

Most schools have freshman orientation and activities, is this not the case at her school? Make sure you encourage her to go to these things if they are offered. Breann's school is pretty small but freshmen are supposed to get there a week earlier than everyone else so they can have the campus to themselves and there are activities for them in the evenings.

Thanks guys! Aww toni it totally sucks....I am just crying for her...I think my biggest FEAR is that after all the problems she had growing up and not being able to attend school that she will freak and won't be able to do it....please everyone pray she stays strong....Stacy

My heart is breaking for you both. :( I can't imagine how hard this is for each of you.

She really has come a long way the last few years. She has made huge leaps actually. I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers that she hangs in there and that soon things will be better.

((((Big hugs))))

stacy just keep encouraging her..remind her how proud everyone (including we strangers, lol) is she's made it to college...

Does she belong to any church? Some churches have youth services at night and sometimes even at the colleges. Minot state has campus ministries meeting that welcome everyone. Just a thought. What are her hobbies? Sometimes there are meetings for those who do have special interest? Does she play instrument? Tell her to check bulletin boards and watch for flyer's.

Oh Stacy I can sure relate, my heart aches for you. The good thing is that she is telling you about it. My son kept it to himself for a few months and was more miserable because of it. The plan to get your SIL to visit is a great idea and also Moni.

When does school start? Most colleges have a Freshman orientation week with tons of activities, does her school?
If so, then that will keep her quite busy. If she headed down a little early, I doubt alot is open yet.

The important thing to tell her is that it is OK and normal to be homesick at first.

Sending you big hug!

She has too much time on her hands. As I recall, she has no roommate too and is in a one person room. That can make for some isolation. The best dorm set up for meeting people is the old fashioned type--a double person room with the floor's bathroom down the hall where everyone bumps into everyone else and a lounge for their floor where they can meet others too.

If they have orientation, she really needs to attend all that stuff. That is how she will meet people. DDs school had a great week-long orientation. They were put in groups with an upper classman leader. Every day they ate dinner with their group in a different restaurant in town. By the end of the week, they knew the town, the campus and had met quite a few people. One day for breakfast their group was assigned the home of a campus professor, who cooked them breakfast and chatted with them. WOW Week (Week of Welcome) orientation lasted for 5 days.

It's a big, old, beautiful world out there - just waiting to be explored. And she's just made/is making a big leap into a big, rather cold pool.

This new city (and probably bigger than she's used to - does she find it some intimidating?) has many resources that now, as she's not yet busy with school work, she can explore. Tell her to make like a tourist on entering a city that she knows little about!

It's to be her home for the next (few years?) - she has a few days in which to get settled in before the heavy-duty workload starts.

What a great opportunity to start installing some new strings on her violin of life, that probably only has one or two, now - how sad that many don't ever pay much attention to such opportunities.

I've been curious through much of my life, and like digging around to learn new things - many of you have heard me say that it's a poor day in which one doesn't learn something ... now, that's a negative comment on the situation (from someone who says that we should think positively), isn't it?

Thank her for sharing her concern - for, as several have mentioned, theirs didn't share - and it hurt them more, in some instances, because of it (smaller cocoon in which to cry alone, I guess?).

I hope that Sydney soon settles in and enjoys this new adventure. And that your concern eases: be thrilled as you watch your precious little one start trying out her wings!

It seems to me that one of our major tasks as a parent is to enourage/help our young ones get prepared, a step at a time, some of them small, for the independence that will be their lot on maturity.

ole joyful

Stacy,
I am so sorry to her that Sydney is homesick, I know what you are going through.
My youngest moved away from Maryland to California five years ago and we talked everyday and every night,
at first she came home about every 6 months and I often sent her cards and packages.
I have a suggestion but I would like for you to hear it first and know your opinon so I am going to email you through your page.
Hang in there and give Sydney my love.
((((Stacy & Sydney))))
Deb