Thanksgiving break is fast approaching and both you and your student have great plans on how to spend their week home from school. However, it is very possible that your plans and your student’s plan may differ. 

You may want to spend time with family, work on projects around the house and catch up with your student; while they may want to spend time with friends, eat all the home cooked food they can get their hands on, sleep, and then get more sleep.

The difference in expectations about the break don’t stop there. Your student has spent the past three months maintaining their own schedule, staying up late, sleeping in and coming and going based on their own wants. There may be a level of resistance when they find that the house rules haven’t changed even though they have.

To make sure that the whole family’s expectations are known, consider having a conversation with your student prior to them returning home. During the conversation remember to ask them what their expectations for the week are while also sharing your plans. Also, review the expectations about household rules and routines. Your student may have an easier time with a curfew if they understand that it is not being imposed because you don’t trust them but simply so you know that they are safe. Your student may not love the rules but at least this way they may respect them.

Above all, having this conversation early will make the visit home a much smoother transition for everyone. Happy Thanksgiving!