The Thanksgiving Transition
When your student comes home during the Thanksgiving break, it will be a time of transition. You may have lived separately, while your student enjoyed some newfound independence. This can be challenging to reconcile when you're living under the same roof. So, here are some things to keep in mind as you all lovingly make this transition work:

Discuss, Don't Order. A student who has been living independently for the past few months will naturally balk if ordered to do something. Have discussions instead, where there is give and take and you both listen to one another.

Consider Compromise. Where can you compromise so that you and your student can meet in the middle?

Prepare for Difference. As your student learns new things and experiences new people, chances are that some of her views will change. Be prepared for her to express different opinions and to discuss varied topics — it's all part of her learning curve.

Agree to Disagree. As you discuss new topics, you and your student may not always see eye to eye. This doesn't mean anything about whether he respects you or not. It's more about him testing his newfound knowledge and interests. So, agree to disagree on certain topics and to listen to one another's different perspectives. You'll learn a good deal from one another!

Reintegrate Into Family Life. The student who has been away for a while may
need time to reintegrate back into family life. Her sleep patterns may not jive with everyone else's. She may take some nudging to participate in household chores. And siblings will need to get used to one another again. Just be prepared that this reintegration won't happen automatically.

The Thanksgiving transition will be okay, as long as you prepare for changes and remain open to your student. Talk about things, make him feel welcomed and realize that this Thanksgiving test run will make the winter break even better!

When a Student Returns Home...

• She may sleep a lot initially
• He may be out, catching up with old friends
• She may talk about missing her life at school
• He may need to talk through decisions about finances and classes
• She may seem different at times

Communicate about what you're noticing and keep yourself open.