Today, we feature advice from Barbara Reina, a Rowan University parent from Hawthorne, NJ (Passaic County.) As a parent whose son (Mike Reina, a senior journalism major who lives on campus) goes to college not so close to home, approximately a two hour drive, it can be tough letting go and parenting from far away. Today she shares some of her tips on how you could successfully parent from far away and why letting your child go to a college far away isn’t such a bad idea.
1. As a parent whose child goes to college not so close to home, what advice would you give other parents who worry about letting their child go to a far away college?
Let them go. Let them go experience independence and responsibility. And a different kind of atmosphere. It’s important because those years are going to help them grow so much and it’s going to benefit them. 
College student Mike agrees with his mom. “It’s part of life and it’s okay to let your son/daughter run free and live life out of your supervision. Mistakes will happen and that’s okay.”
2. How did you handle letting your child go? Did you start any new hobbies?
I stayed the same, just working. Same routine, empty nest. At the end of the day, I still miss my kids.
3. What’s one tip you recommend parents to do to maintain a good connection with their far away college child?
Call your child every night and make sure you check in with your child on a regular basis to make sure everything is okay.
I love living on campus. The best thing is the community, at the end of the day, the buildings are just walls and stairs, it’s the people that make the college experience special.
-Son, Mike
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Story by: Iridian Gonzalez, rising senior journalism major