Even though I went to college 27 years ago, I still clearly remember the college prep I did the summer before. I met my roommate, discussed matching bed sets, coordinated the blankets and throw pillow, and even coordinated my shower caddy with my shower flip-flops and bath towels. As a girl, it was a whole vibe. It was a whole day spent shopping, coordinating, and color matching.
My oldest son embarks on his college adventure in t-minus 16 days, and I have now realized that for boys, dorm prep is just survival of the fittest. There will be no coordinating, no all-day shopping event, no matching bedspreads. We will just be grateful to get him into his dorm before classes start. For months, my husband and I have been asking what I would consider pretty basic prep questions to try and help him get dorm ready.
Here is a basic breakdown of our conversations:
Me: When do you move into your dorm? It’s July 17th already and classes start in August.
Son: Mmmmm…I don’t know yet. I just basically have to pick a day.
(Then can we PICK A DAY???)
Me: What size beds are in your dorm so we know what to buy? Is it a Twin XL?
Son: I don’t know…probably…I think it’s like a weird size between a twin and a full?
(Me Googling “Is there a bed size between Twin XL and Full?)
Me: What about bathroom stuff? What do you need?
Son: I don’t know. I think my roommate’s mom bought me a towel.
(My son thinks ONE TOWEL will suffice.)
Me: When do you want to start packing up your room?
Son: I mean…I’ll just plan to do it that week before.
(Beads of sweat forming as I casually say, “Ok, no biggie.”)
The thing about us boy moms is that we know these conversations are completely normal. We know our sons don’t do things the way we would do them. They don’t think like us, plan like us, or really care about the things that make us tick. And that’s all ok. I used to really stress over it, but I’ve learned that his journey to success doesn’t (and will never) look like mine…and that’s ok. It really is ok.
PS: We finally got a move in date! August 16th. Classes start August 18th.
