What can parents do to help their HS senior be ready for college?

Question

My oldest child is going to be a HS senior this school year. I'm looking for information on what other parents have done to help their child get ready for that transition in their lives. Everything from banking, to cleaning, to doing laundry, everything that your child needed to learn in order to live on their own--even in a dorm setting. If you have some tips that have helped both you as the parent, and your child as a student, I'd love if it you could share those. If you're a current college student, I'd love to hear how much your parents help you out currently, how you guys handle issues such as spending money, going home, car issues, etc. Or, if you tried something, and it blew up in your face, please share that as well. Thank you in advance from a parent of a class of 2008 student!

Answer 1

Open a checking account, a savings account, and get a debit card. Figure out a monthly budget that includes lunches or whatever else parents usually pay for (gas money?, etc.) and include extra to set aside for fun (Starbucks or movies) and 10% for savings. Your student must "live within" the budget and you cannot be putting extra money into the account before the end of the month. If they have a job, that money should be set aside to help pay for college books and supplies.

Write out laundry instructions for them and have them do their own laundry each week
Teach them how to sweep and vacuum
Teach them how to make a shopping list and how to stick to it. (Dorm rooms are small and there's not a lot of space to keep fresh foods or refrigerated foods)
Teach them how to cook simple meals (healthy microwavable food)
Help them start looking for a college (within a certain $$ budget)
Have them think about who will write letters of recommendations
Have them look into obtaining scholarship $
Start to give them more freedom and allow them to set their own schedules of homework, family obligations, jobs, fun, etc.
Good luck! and remember, you're not raising a child anymore, you are growing an adult!

Answer 2

The best thing to do is to begin giving your child responsibilities now. Being a HS senior this year, most of what you've stated should've been implicated into their daily routine beginning in 10th grade.

For starters, you may want to give the child a weekly chore of preparing a well balanced dinner. And have the child begin to do thier own laundry. Set up a bank account, if one has not already been done. Teach the child how to manage their money. (This may be hard, depending on how responsible the child is)