
RECOMMENDED READING LIST FOR PARENTS
The dynamics of family life can change dramatically when your son or daughter begins their university education. From birth through high school 'good' parents in our current cultural climate are expected to play a hands-on role with their children. Parents are expected to know the names of all of their children's teachers and have meaningful conversations with all of them. A 'good' parent is aware of every course, textbook, field trip and extra-curricular school event their child participates in. 'Good' parents join the PAC and volunteer for school and club events. 'Good' parents know the names and families of all of their children's friends. 'Good' parents are involved!
Then your student heads off to university and everything changes. Privacy laws in most North American jurisdictions prohibit institutions from sharing information about students with anyone, including the student's parents. As a result, the role of the parent necessarily changes from that of a hands-on, custodial parent to an arms-length mentor.
In order to assist parents with this transition, we've listed below the titles and authors of a number of books that deal with the university student/university parent relationship. Most of these publictaions are not written from a Christian perspective, but they nonetheless contain information that may be of help to parents and students. Many of these titles are available through online booksellers or your local library.
TITLE | AUTHOR | PUBLISHER |
A New Beginning |
Kaye Bernard McGarry | Survival In College Press |
Almost Grown: Launching Your |
Patricia Pasick | W. W. Norton & Co. |
Bringing Home the Laundry: |
Janis Brody | Taylor Trade Publishing |
Don't Tell Me What to do, Just Send Money: |
Helen E. Johnson & Christine Schelhaus-Miller |
St. Martin's Griffin |
Empty Nest...Full Heart |
Andrea Van Steenhouse | Simpler Life Press |
In Addition to Tuition |
Marian Borden, Mary Anne Burlinson, Elsie R. Kearns |
Facts On File |
Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to |
Karen Levin Coburn, Madge Lawrence Treeger |
Quill (Harper Collins) |
Millennials Rising: The Next Great |
Neil Howe, William Strauss | Vintage Books (Random House) |
Parents' Guide to College Life |
Robin Raskin | Random House Information Group |
The Launching Years |
Laura S. Kastner, Jennifer Wyatt |
Three Rivers Press |
What to Expect When Your Child |
Mary Spohn | Atlantic Publishing Group |
When Your Kid Goes To College: |
Carol Barkin | Avon Books |
When Your Kids Go To College |
Lucantonio Salvi, Michael J. Hunt |
Paulist Press |
You're On Your Own (but I'm here
|
Marjorie Savage | Fireside (Simon & Schuster) |