How To Help Your College Student Stay Sane

This article will teach you how to help your college student stay sane. My husband and I have been homeschooling for over 24 years.

So far, we have graduated 4 sons from our homeschool and got them into some of the best colleges in our country. But one of our main goals for them was to make sure they could function in a different environment.

Each graduating year, we have helped them to choose what kind of school they wanted to attend.

Our ears and minds were always open and sensitive to their wishes, as they made the final decision about their schools of choice.

Each school came with its own unique set of challenges to their lives. They all presented activities that challenged the very foundation and lifestyle that they grew up in.

Sanity has to be protected

Some of our boys were more suited for the new environment than some of the others. I think this has a lot to do with age and prior community college experience.

But one thing for certain, we knew that even though they were off at college, that we couldn’t consider them totally hands-off.

Especially when it came to them staying sane and centered. All of our college students need us to cover their lives in the following ways.

Help keep them sane by praying for their spiritual life

Never stop praying for their spiritual growth. Just because you raised them in a Christian home and kept them up under the best spiritual teachings in the world doesn’t mean they are equipped. Satan is waiting for them and he shows no mercy.

We must give them spiritual protection by talking to the Lord on their behalf.

I say to God “Lord, I do not know what they are doing, really, but you know exactly. So, I place them into your hands, keep them safe and sane.”

Again, I pray to Him to “Do it any way that you need to do it” Just make sure that they don’t forget about who you are, God!” in Jesus name!

God will honor this kind of prayer because we are giving Him full authority. I am not saying that the child is going to be perfect and deserving, but I do know God is trustworthy.

Therefore, I trust in the Word. He promises that when we place situations into His hands that He will do what is necessary.

Help your student stay sane with constant contact

Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. As parents, we have got to keep our loving voices resounding in their heads.

They need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be there for them. Our college students may be big and strong, but mentally they still need emotional support from us.

As human beings, we need to feel secure and cared for at all times. If your child doesn’t have these basic securities to hold on to, he will start to feel unnecessary and unwanted.

This can cause him or her to lose touch with sanity. The very foundation of what he is made of will seem as if it is crumbling from beneath his feet.

We have to remind them from whence they come. We still have to keep building up their sense of self with encouraging real words that are true of them.

As we walk through this harsh world we all must be reminded of who we are. Our big grown college students need the same strength-building forces to surround them.

Sanity strengthening signals

Not a day goes by that I don’t send up prayers for my kids, and not a week goes by that I don’t reach out to them.

Sending text messages with scripture or some words of encouragement are my go-to signals. Many times I will send a voice mail so that they will hear my voice and other times I will send a video message.

I am sure to touch bases with them at least once a week. Don’t think that you have to say much, just send a simple “I’m thinking about you” that will do.

Help your college student stay sane by advocating for their success

This one requires that we act more like mentors rather than parents. Our children want their independence and should have it.

Yet, for many things on the administrative part they are clueless on how to advocate for themselves at this level.

Some kids are quite intimidated, or shy or just plain old fearful. That’s where our mentorship comes in handy.

I will go out of my way to help them understand how to negotiate, bargain and fend for themselves during this time.

They are really still niave about the college sytem and the world system.

I can remember navigating through this stage in life and it was very scary. I felt lost and like I was going to fall apart.

Thankfully I had a mentor to assist me in making wise decisions. This is what we can be for our kids while they are figuring out how every thing works together.

After helping 4 of our sons make it through college, I think that my husband and I have learned quite a bit about the challenges colleges can bring.

Hopefully, you will be able to institute one or all of these methods into parenting your college student.

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A big thank you to Adrienne Brown of Homeschoolmomof8 for writing this article.  Connect with Adrienne on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.