The essential guidebook on helping today’s college parents be appropriately involved in their children’s lives, now fully revised and updated to include the Great Recession, shifts in technology, and changes in higher education policy and practices.

Today, parents of college kids have a tougher time than ever. With the high cost of a college education, new careers emerging while whole occupational fields disappear, and increasing options related to technology, many parents feel enormous pressure to stay connected to their kids, but they also need to know when to let go.

Now completely revised and updated, You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here If You Need Me) helps parents identify those boundaries between appropriate involvement and respect for their child’s independence. Author Marjorie Savage is a parent and student services professional offering advice on a wide range of issues, including:
-How to cope with mood changes in the months before move-in day
-How freshman gain fifteen pounds when all they do is complain about the food
-Responsible use of new technology on campus
-The impact of Facebook and other social networking sites that have opened new communication forums but also introduced new safety concerns

With anecdotes and suggestions for experienced parents and college staff nationwide, this book is full of strategies and tips that will help parents create a supportive partnership responsive to both their kids’ needs and their own.

Marjorie Savage is the Parent Program director at the University of Minnesota, serving as a liaison between the school and the parents of its 28,000 undergraduates. She lives in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.