Packing your child off to university can be heartbreaking. It may well be a goal that you’ve saved to help them achieve since they were walking, but can anything prepare you for that change? Suddenly, they’re out of your home, out of your reach, but most definitely still in your heart.
Luckily, seeing our kids thrive is all the reward most of us need to make this struggle worthwhile. And, more often than not, their tales of new friendships, fantastic lectures, and experiences that are turning them into adults can fill the void. But, all of that often comes crashing down when your child calls you to say that they’re ill.
You’re still a parent, after all, and all you want is to hold their hand when they feel under the weather. What’s more, they’re still your baby in more ways than even they realise, and that’s probably all they want, too.
In this instance, distance can be difficult to deal with, but there are still things you can do without driving to be by their side. And, we’re going to look at them here.
Check-in regularly
Checking in with our uni leavers regularly should always be a priority considering that mental health struggles are a problem for around 1 in 5 students. But, if your child is ill, regular checks become especially crucial.
As well as giving you peace of mind that they’re on the mend (even if improvements take a while,) these regular chats can be the only form of interaction our youngster’s get when they’re ill. After all, uni life is fast-paced, and their mates probably don’t have time to stick around and play nursemaid.
By making sure that you talk, over either phone or, preferably, video chat, at least once a day throughout their illness, you can provide them with some socialisation, and perhaps put a smile on their face. And, as everyone knows, finding reasons to smile when we’re ill is often half the battle of starting to feel better.
The good news is that platforms like Zoom and even Whatsapp have made calls like these easier to achieve than ever before. There are even filters on offer if your child doesn’t want you to see them looking so unwell!
Help them get the health care that they need
Students aren’t typically on the ball when it comes to things like healthcare. After all, their parents have always taken care of that for them! Unfortunately, a failure to sign up to the proper services when they move can prevent them from getting the care they need when they need it.
This could mean that they struggle unnecessarily with infections that a doctor could easily treat, or try to cope with a toothache that a dentist could help them with in no time. But, as you know all too well, these aren’t issues that you can just brush under the student carpet. Rather, they’re escalating health concerns that your child likely needs help to address.
The good news is that you can now look for everything from dentists to medical centres online. What’s more, recent pushes to keep people from coming to these surgeries in-person mean that they may have moved to either online sign-ups or at least postal forms.
As such, doing a little research as soon as you find out about a problem is one of the best ways to help, no matter the miles between you. That way, you can send the correct links directly to your child and advise them how to sign up. If they’re not up to even that, you could fill these things out for them! Then, a simple phone call or further online form could see them enjoying either an in-person check or a telehealth call before the end of the day.
Make sure they’re eating good food
An unhealthy diet goes hand in hand with student life for many, but if your child is already under the weather, it won’t do them any good to keep living off the beans on toast that so many students seem to fall back on.
As such, our last point to help you help them is simply to make sure that they’re eating good food. The bad news is that you can’t be there by their side cooking all your best healthy home comfort dishes. Worse, you can’t exactly send that veg casserole by courier!
But, there are still ways to make sure they’re eating the best diet possible during this difficult time. If they or their housemates are up for a bit of basic cooking, ordering a veg-filled food shop to their address could be a fantastic solution. Simple dishes like soups and pasta don’t take much time or effort, but they could provide much-needed immune boosts. Even if those simple options are a step too far, there are now some relatively healthy pre-made meals in the supermarkets, including vegan curries, pre-made soups, etc. that you could also add onto that shopping list.
The joy of this option is, again, the fact that you can do it all online. You simply need your child’s address and a time at which delivery would be convenient. Okay, you can’t guarantee that they eat all that good stuff, but you can at least rest easy that you tried. And, of course, you could also add in a few naughty treats to make them feel better!
A final word
As parents, it’s always incredibly hard to see our youngster’s struggling. Even if they’re at home in our care, illness is incredibly difficult, and most of us would take the pain if we could. But, when you add many miles between you, even a hard-hitting cold can keep you up worrying for them at night. Unfortunately, we can’t offset those concerns altogether. You should still find, though, that taking these pointers makes you feel like you’re helping even though you can’t be there. And that, in itself, is a reassurance worth making an effort for.
