You’ve raised them from their very first breath to that moment when they stand at the edge of the nest, ready to fly off without you, for the first time.
When your child leaves home, there are many conflicting emotions at play. Pride, that they’re big enough, strong enough and bright enough to take the first steps towards independence, as they must. But there’s also fear. Fear of the challenges they must face without your guidance.
But thanks to the way we all connect now, you can calm the fear while keeping the pride, and be a part of their world, even when they’re away from home. Being apart can be the new way of staying connected, with video calls bringing you together like never before.
Alex, 19, was leaving his close knit family for Manchester University. His parents, Hannah and Stuart, were able to not only see his room and have a tour of new home, they could meet his new housemates. One day when Alex came back from a lecture, he found his Dad on his computer screen talking to his new friends about all the bands he’d seen when he was younger.
“Your dad’s a legend!” said his mate.
While Alex might have found his dad showing off to his friends slightly galling, it was also comforting to see family extend into his new life. For mum and dad, it was reassuring to know their son was in good company. Even though you’re hundreds of miles away, you can still get to meet the new girlfriend or boyfriend - and without having to fork out for dinner.
Soon Alex was using Skype’s Group Video chat to connect with his parents and his sister, Rose, now living abroad. “In no time at all we started arguing, just like at home,” he laughed. “Mum even told me to tidy my room!”Other tech that will help parents sleep easier include student safety apps like Circle of 6 that track you and your close friends and ensures that help is at hand at the touch of a button. Tap one icon and your friends know you need help getting home, or another if you need a timely interruption.
While apps such as MealBoard and WiseDrinking can help make sure they are eating and drinking healthily, there’s not one to make sure they’ve dressed for the weather. Yet!
And technology spreads love across the world. When children venture off on their travels, you don’t have to miss out. You can be there every step of the way, following their development and being a part of their lives.
Once they’re grown up, there are still ways to make sure they’re safe in their new life. Life360 Family Locator, for example, lets you know where all your family is, no matter how far away they are.
Not having to worry whether your kids have made it home okay is an incredible relief for parents. The app will show you where everyone in your private circle is. You can even automate it to let you know how much time they’re actually spending in a particular place, like college, which sometimes makes an interesting comparison with how much time they say they’re spending in college.
You can set up group chats with the whole family and you can even be informed if your darling offspring is exceeding the speed limit. You can generate a weekly report with details of speed, hard breaking and rapid acceleration, so you can advise them on safe practice, armed with data to back you up.
So while they’re busy being teenagers and beyond, you can still be a caring, and possibly slightly annoying, parent. But essentially, a good parent, who continues to help protect them, even when they’ve fled the coop.