Even if your son or daughter was incredibly excited to start university and has spoken of nothing else for months, feeling homesick is an incredibly common and normal occurrence, regardless of how far the university is from home and how often they can get back to visit.

So, with that being said, continue reading for a comprehensive guide on how to help with your child’s homesickness while they are away at university.

Ensure You Pack Some Favorite Items

Firstly, it will be much easier to tackle the feelings of homesickness your son or daughter will more than likely experience at some point on the university or college journey if they have packed some of their favorite items from home.

Perhaps their own pillow from their bedroom, a cuddly toy they absolutely love, or some framed photographs of them with friends and family members in happy times. The more physical reminders of their life back home, the better.

Gift Them a Sentimental Keepsake

Another fantastically thoughtful and guaranteed-to-be-appreciated way to remind your child of how much you and everyone else at home love them is to gift them a sentimental keepsake. Consider a gift inspired by their favorite movie or video game, like god of war merch.

This could take the form of a framed photo collage, an innovative and impressive blanket from My T-Shirt Blanket, or even a notebook with good luck messages from your son or daughter’s nearest and dearest. A sentimental gift is not only great for combating feelings of homesickness but will also become one of their most treasured possessions.

Arrange Regular Calls Back Home

If your child seems to always want to hear about every single detail about what is happening back in their local town every time you talk to them on the phone, this could indicate they are feeling disconnected and maybe even slightly isolated.

In an effort to combat this, look to arrange regular calls back home and have them in both your and the diary of your son or daughter ahead of time so they know when they next get to speak to you. Additionally, be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of low mood and the beginnings of depression, both of which are more likely to occur when a young adult leaves home for the very first time.

Encourage Your Child to Keep Busy

Hopefully, if your daughter or son is intending to embrace student life and all that it has to offer, they will limit the amount of time they actually have to longingly wish for home, and as such, as a parent, encourage them to keep busy is an excellent move.

Moreover, even when your child is studying in their room, ensure they know the value of keeping their door open and taking regular breaks to socialize with their roommates. Additionally, make sure that they are fully aware of the importance of reaching out to their peers and remind them that every emotion, including feeling homesick, they are experiencing, they are most certainly not alone.