We spent the last week across the country, moving our oldest into college. It’s weird and hard and I still haven’t had a proper cry. I hear that parents cope with this major transition in all kinds of ways. Apparently, I cope by decorating the hell out of my kid’s dorm room. And we all know that every college freshman guy dreams of a gallery wall in their dorm room! Thankfully, Locke has been the sweetest about letting me help him. He even obliged me by taking the design survey I usually give my clients so they can discover their personal style (he’s a boho chic boy, by the way.) We picked out art, a very cozy rug, and a bright, funky comforter. The wall-mounted, dorm room headboard I ordered proved to be a bit of a *ahem* challenge, which is mostly the fault of the stupid, uneven dorm walls. It’s currently being very loosely held up by a wire, some 3m velcro strips, and and all my hopes and dreams. At one point, alone in Locke’s dorm, I caught myself furiously labeling his crates, which is funny cause anyone who knows me knows I hardly label stuff at my own house. But how will he find his first aid kit and keep his cleaning products separate from his food?!😩 One mom from Connecticut I met told me, “I haven’t been this exhausted since my kid was a newborn.” Maybe that’s the point! Maybe we’re supposed to be so tired from the stifling humidity, the endless Target runs, and aaaaaall the flights of stairs that we have no energy or tears (cause we’ve sweated them all out) left to cry when we say goodbye. I’m doing that in a few hours, by the way. My flight doesn’t leave until this afternoon, so we may get one last lunch together before he’s officially on his own-ish. I’ve reminded him that this transition might be challenging. He might feel anxious, scared, overwhelmed and lonely. In those moments, he can give himself extra kindness, grace and self-care. It also helps to remember the thing about feelings–they usually pass. Now I’m going to remind myself of that too. 🫶 🧑‍🦱 🫶 📸 by the wonderful @jess_isaac #collegekid #parenting #steeldoors #entrance #mywestelm #changes #lonnymag #myhousebeautiful #sodomino