Reena’s 17-year-old daughter is only home for another year before she leaves for college, and Reena is looking for strategies to give her more freedom and less direction. Reena knows theoretically that this is the right thing to do, but she’s struggling to feel comfortable doing it.

Today, we talk about this universal parenting stage. I note that, often, kids come back, so to let go of the leash is not to say goodbye forever. I frame the year before college as a practice year to prepare for the drastic change in relationship dynamic that will occur when your child returns from college. I talk about the value of a respectful and open conversation, and I share some ways you can help prepare your child for the necessary self-sufficiency that comes with this stage in life. I talk about the importance of eliminating judgment when your child messes up, and I note that your children are still figuring everything out just like you, and that’s okay.