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Ask Deanie
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Archives Deanie Kepler's previously published columns | SMU Parent Liaison Deanie Kepler offers advice on helping your student. |
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Sending a “Because We Care” Package
For many of you who were able to attend Family Weekend, you got to see your student “up close and personal” – you took them out to eat for a good meal or two, you checked out their residence hall room (surprisingly clean!), maybe took them to get a haircut, asked how classes were going and had they been “going”….and you probably slipped them a little cash with that last hug before you drove into the sunset….but what now?
The first or second graded papers are being returned in class - some with a lot of red ink - and the thought of mid-terms is looming on the horizon. October is the perfect time for a “Because We Care” Package! A few Halloween decorations sprinkled with a funny mask, a red rubber nose or a pair of clown glasses can bring a smile to any student’s face. A small assortment of old fashioned candy like Candy Korn, Twizzlers or Smarties can remind them of the fun they had growing up.
With the mid-term crunch imminent, students will undoubtedly be burning the midnight oil. Healthy late night snacks are always better than ones that give them a quick sugar rush. Try Campbell’s Soup at Hand, power bars, microwave popcorn or healthy chips and trail mix to keep the hunger pains away. Fun tension relievers are always a favorite too. Yo-Yos, paddle balls, soft squeezy balls, Silly Putty, kaleidoscopes, etc. will help your student relieve stress and give their brain a break from the pressure of studying. They may say, “Oh, Mom, I’m too old for that…” but I promise they will love it!
Finally, remember to include a note of encouragement, and a reminder that they are loved! Regardless of the un-necessary parking ticket, judicial fine, being overdrawn at the bank, or a bad grade they may have received, they always need reminding that you are there for them through thick and thin.
I’m off to find an ol’ fashioned popcorn ball (my favorite Halloween treat)…
Happy October to all!
Question for Deanie? Ask Deanie at
gkepler@smu.edu or 214-768-4797.
Read previous Ask Deanie columns.
