Description
Updated in 2023.
GOLD AWARD WINNER at the Midwest Book Awards in Family & Parenting
All aboard, parents!
It’s time to see your child off on the voyage of a lifetime: the first year of college. The college transition is filled with mixed emotions and is a time of tremendous change for both students and parents. As move-in day approaches, important questions lurk beneath the surface:
What can I do now to help equip my student for success?
What skills and tools should I teach my child to help them prepare to launch?
How will I survive back on shore when I send my student out to sea?
Here is your survival guide! Out to Sea: A Parents’ Survival Guide to the Freshman Voyage will help you navigate the emotional and practical aspects of the freshman year. This easy-to-read, informative guidebook is swimming with helpful tips, organized checklists, and real-world advice from parents and experts alike.
Out to Sea will keep your sanity afloat and ensure smoother sailing for you and your student as you embark on this grand voyage. Anchors aweigh!
You’ll learn all about:
- What to pack—with handy checklists
- Staying connected
- Communicating and healthy boundaries
- Mentorship parenting
- Money matters
- Orientation
- Academic expectations
- Alcohol and substance use
- Mental and physical health
- Roommate relations
- Campus crime and safety
- What to expect when your student comes home
- And so much more!
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Debi Condon –
While there were some things I already knew, there was definitely more that I didn’t. Very helpful as I was sending my first off to college, away from home.
Debi Condon –
I loved the real world stories and advice on launching your child off to college. The good, the bad, the tearful moments, and all the feels! Kelly is a master at telling a story while offering authentic advice in a relatable tone – and entertaining us along the way. This books is a MUST for any parent of teens approaching their high school graduation milestone!
Tina Glas –
This book was crucial for me to read as I prepared to send my first born to college! Provided heartfelt and honest guidance that can help during one of the craziest transitions in life. Lots of tears and laughter as I read each chapter. I referenced it often during some stages of the college transition. Loved the care package ideas!
Steven R. Gottry –
BE PREPARED! That’s the Boy Scout motto. But it also applies to parents who are about to send an “almost adult” child off to college.
I have faced this “challenge” three times in my life, and I admit that I was not fully prepared. Fortunately, all three attended schools close to home. So I was able to do effective “helicoptering parenting.” And that, by the way, is NOT a good thing!
With my three adult kids already out of college, why would I buy this book? Simple! Our best friends are less than a year away from sending their daughter off to college. Not just to any college, but a university in another state. Yes, she’s been accepted to some school that is nearly “on the moon.” Or, at least, almost off the map.
Thus, I purchased this book and read it myself, just to make certain that it’s everything it claims to be. And now my friends will receive a “gently used” copy. They will LOVE IT. They will “Be Prepared.”
OUT TO SEA offers candid first-hand advice to all parents who face this often-frightening situation. It’s brimming with clearly written, easy-to absorb-and-apply thoughts that will transform possible “terror” into a smooth transition. It’s personal, intimate, and helpful! Yes, it’s great “Mom and Dad Stuff!”
If you are anything like I am, you wish and hope the best for your kids. After all, he/she/they will always be your kids. There is no denying that. So give them every break they deserve. Be prepared! Read this wonderful book!
Susan F –
I am reading this book for the second time. The first time, two years ago, my daughter was getting ready to leave for college 20 hours away. It had practical tips, but delivered in a fun and casual way. An easy read. Now that I am two years away from launching my second child, it is time to read it again. Looking at the launch in a different way with my son in mind. I highly suggest this book to anyone who has a child getting ready to start a new chapter in life.
LolaGirl –
Funny, candid, informative, uplifting and a tear-jerker – starting with the first chapter. This is such a helpful book for parents sending their first teenager off to college. I’m now more knowledgeable and prepared and ready to help my daughter navigate her freshman year with confidence.
Savanna Oden –
I could say so many things about this book. It was beyond helpful before we sent our son off to college. This is a must read for a parent in the beginning of senior year. I even bought it for friends in the same stage.
Rebecca –
A friend recommended this book to me. I didn’t think I needed it because my kid had already left for college, and is going to university in Ireland, but I was wrong. This book has been so helpful in so many ways. It has been amazing on how an when we communicate, how we talk about money and food, and so much more. I love this book, and now I am the one recommending it to friends.