Monitor the Health and Well-Being of Your College Freshman

For a college freshman, the changes that the university life brings can be quite overwhelming. Parents may have concerns about how their child is handling college life, and as a result, want to monitor their college freshman's health. Without prying, there are a few ways that parents can be involved and monitor their child's health.

Keep in touch via email and telephone weekly.
Don't call your college freshman every day. But sending an email or making a telephone call once a week is a great way to keep up with what is going on in your child's life. Parents who only call once a semester might miss early clues that their child is having trouble.

Visit once a semester.
Many universities have a parents' weekend in the fall. Make it a point to go. If there is no such offering during the spring semester, head for a visit anyway. Take your college freshman and some friends to dinner, walk around the campus, and check out the life your child is living at school. During these visits, it's important to be laid back and relaxed--don't be overbearing or too pushy, or you could have the opposite effect that you desire.

Urge open communication and have realistic expectations.
One of the best ways to monitor your child's health while they are away at university is to have open communication with your son or daughter. Many parents need to realize that this goes hand in hand with having realistic expectations. The first time away from home and as a "grown up" means experimentation for many children, as well as a few mistakes along the way. If your child shares with you how they got drunk and threw up, don't judge and yell. Instead, think about how lucky you are that your child is telling you what is going on in their life. Are you having the same conversation every week? It might be time to start worrying.