When your college kid can’t come home for Thanksgiving

[mom2rb]

My son’s school only gets off Wednesday-Sunday for Thanksgiving. It is way to far to travel for so short of a trip. I made cornbread dressing and gravy and a Reese’s cheesecake. I will pack it up in dry ice and ship it out today. I am hoping that he will find other kids in the same situation, so I made enough to share.

Anyone else in the same boat? How are you handling it.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

My son’s school only gets off Wednesday-Sunday for Thanksgiving. It is way to far to travel for so short of a trip. I made cornbread dressing and gravy and a Reese’s cheesecake. I will pack it up in dry ice and ship it out today. I am hoping that he will find other kids in the same situation, so I made enough to share.

Anyone else in the same boat? How are you handling it.

I think that's sweet of you and a great idea.

Last year my daughter had exams immediately following Easter so we made her a nice meal, an Easter basket and drove it to her. It took us the day round trip but I couldn't leave her on her first Easter away.

 

[kidshop]

I'm sorry you don't get to see your son for Thanksgiving. I really think the schools should give them the whole week off, that would be so nice! My son is coming home and I am so excited! I feel bad, though he has to travel on the 2 worst days of the year and that was an expensive plane ticket.

I know lots of kids stay at school for Thanksgiving so your son will have company for sure.

 

[RangerPooh]

Some schools will host holiday meals for those remaining on campus. I think that it's a nice thing for you to do for your child. You might also look into seeing if there are any local businesses that will delivery a holiday type meal to them that they can share with others.

We spent almost 10 years living/working in a college town and over the years a few of our student employees who didn't travel home for Thanksgiving joined us for dinner. We opened our doors for our colleagues too as we didn't have family in the area. I really enjoyed those meals as they didn't have family drama and were surrounded by people we cared about. Plus when people brought sides to share they reflected their own family traditions which made it even more enjoyable.

 

[mom2rtk]

Not my college student. But my new college graduate who moved 7 hours away for his job. He has to work the day after Thanksgiving so we won't be seeing him. This is the first year we won't have all the kids here on Thanksgiving. Sigh.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Some years back I did much the same for one of my sons.

Made a turkey breast roulade/roll filled with stuffing (cornbread is our fave too!), some veggies closed up in my handy dandy Food Saver and sent the pre-measured ingredients for some sort of chocolate microwavable dessert along w/ the recipe. Unshelled nuts replaced the styrofoam peanuts and protected the jars of gravy and cranberry chutney from breakage. Gave it to a friend who was heading in that direction and it was hand delivered. He has fond memories of that meal as does at least one of his friends.

 

[soccerdad72]

Maybe he could find a classmate who is local and spend the day with their family? I had a friend of mine come back with me for a Thanksgiving one year in college because he couldn't make it home. He had to deal with my nutty family but it gave him something to do.

 

[Kitty 34]

My son’s school only gets off Wednesday-Sunday for Thanksgiving. It is way to far to travel for so short of a trip. I made cornbread dressing and gravy and a Reese’s cheesecake. I will pack it up in dry ice and ship it out today. I am hoping that he will find other kids in the same situation, so I made enough to share.

Anyone else in the same boat? How are you handling it.

First s to you as I know how that feels.

My youngest was off to Air Force basic training over Thanksgiving. So all I could do was send a card. And then surprise on Thanksgiving Day right as we sat down to eat, we got a call from Danny!! They actually had allowed the new recruits to go have dinner with local families. The one he went to let him use their phone to call home. First time we had heard from him since he had left Nov 7. That was six years ago and I still wish I knew who that family was so I could send them a special thank you every Thanksgiving.

 

[leebee]

This is the first year that my DD24 hasn't come home for Thanksgiving. She went to school in the college town where we live, so there was never a problem during her college days. The last 2 years they came home for T-giving, but this year, with everyone's holiday obligations, they decided it was too much driving (his family has a gathering, she comes home for Nutcracker reunion, then there's t-giving, Christmas, my family's holiday gathering, and New Year's Eve) so instead, DH and I, as well as DD's boyfriend's parents and brother, will drive to CT to their house; DD is hosting her first Thanksgiving! I am SO GLAD, because I wasn't quite sure what we'd do. Last year they didn't come home for Christmas, and it was an abysmal holiday!

More on topic, as I referenced above, we live in a college town. There are ALWAYS students who cannot go home for the holidays. Sometimes Residence Life will host a T-giving dinner. Other times, different dorms will get together and do something for their students who can't go home. We normally go to a friend's home for T-giving, as all our relatives are pretty far away and all their relatives are in CO. Their home is always full for T-giving: Other faculty families with distant relatives, grad students who don't have the time to go home, undergrads who live to far away to make the trip. The holiday meal is always a festive combination of traditional Thanksgiving foods and amazing examples of international cuisine, depending on the home countries of the grad students in attendance. We always have a wonderful time, and as excited as I am to be going to DD's, I will admit to feeling just a little sad that we'll miss our usual Thanksgiving celebration!

 

[NYCgrrl]

My son’s school only gets off Wednesday-Sunday for Thanksgiving. It is way to far to travel for so short of a trip. I made cornbread dressing and gravy and a Reese’s cheesecake. I will pack it up in dry ice and ship it out today. I am hoping that he will find other kids in the same situation, so I made enough to share.

Anyone else in the same boat? How are you handling it.

Don't forget to add some holiday paper napkins and plates if you've the space!
Of course if your son is anything like mine used to be probably isn't needed...yesssss he was the one I kept asking to eat like a human being and not a wild ravening wolf who grew up in the forest.

 

[diznygirl]

Most year's I just went home with a local friend. My mom visited me at college one year. It was easier than me flying back, and since my roomie wasn't there mom just stayed in the room with me. An aunt lived close by so we went there for dinner.

 

[NHdisneylover]

My oldest gets Wed on off---and we live overseas. Even with the full week it would not make sense for them to fly home.

The first two years they volunteered to work the desk for housing (they are employeed by housing) so others could go home, and there was a dinner on campus hosted by faculty that they attended.

This year, they are able to visit extended family (my dad's cousin and his husband) that they've never met before but gotten to know on facebook.

 

[SC Minnie]

DD has been home for Thanksgiving once in the past 4 years and hasn't been home for Christmas in 5 years. We make do and celebrate those holidays when she does get to come home or we go see her. The holidays aren't the same anymore but we deal with it. She is coming home for 5 days week after Thanksgiving which will be her first visit home in over a year. That's the nature of a job in the hospitality industry. We knew that when she picked this major. She has a job working for the Mouse and is living her dream. If she's happy then we make the best of it.

 

[loves to dive]

Most college towns have a number of restaurants that offer Thanksgiving lunch, I know here in Athens there are a few of them. My son rarely comes home for Thanksgiving, it's just not his favorite holiday. He tends to work Thanksgiving morning then spends the afternoon as his favorite bar watching football and we live in the same town. He doesn't like crowds and my family can be very loud and overwhelming, the only time he comes home is if it's just going to be honey and me and honey smokes a turkey or some pork. Southern boys will do anything for smoked pork.

 

[Micca]

If it's any consolation I suspect most college kids can keep themselves pretty entertained over a long weekend with no classes. I know you'll miss having them home, it'll probably be worse for you than your DS.

 

[usnuzuloose]

How about skype on thanksgiving day, at least you can see and talk to enjoy it.

 

[tvguy]

My daughter went to college for a year in England. Her flatmates were from all over the world. West Germany, South Africa, and China. She had us ship her the ingredients she couldn't get in England in advance of Thanksgiving, and she and another exchange student from her home college fixed a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner for their international friends. None had ever had or even heard of pumpkin pie, and a couple thought the entire concept of a sweetened pie made from a vegetable was bizarre.
DD.......who is basically vegetarian.....even cooked a turkey. She said it wasn't like being home, but it was a heck of a party that her flat mates keep talking about for the remaining 7 months they lived together.

 

[punkin]

Maybe he could find a classmate who is local and spend the day with their family? I had a friend of mine come back with me for a Thanksgiving one year in college because he couldn't make it home. He had to deal with my nutty family but it gave him something to do.

This. I have an extra for Thanksgiving this year (she also came last year). Her family lives abroad.

 

[SteveH]

Happened when I was in college, since I was a local it didn't impact me but we'd often invite other students to come have dinner with my mom and I. Only a few took us up on it, most found other college kids and did their own thing. What you did was great.

 

[mousefan73]

I'm sorry you don't get to see your son for Thanksgiving. I really think the schools should give them the whole week off, that would be so nice! My son is coming home and I am so excited! I feel bad, though he has to travel on the 2 worst days of the year and that was an expensive plane ticket.

I know lots of kids stay at school for Thanksgiving so your son will have company for sure.

Oh I am 100% sure there will be some great parties to keep him occupied. Back in my days the foreign students really let it loose over holiday breaks . Great house parties.