Isn’t it exciting to have your kids home from college? You haven’t seen them in months and now you will get to spend quality time with them (or so you think). You quickly go from the excitement of having them home to the excitement of sending them back to school. We get it. You’ll gloss over the details when talking to friends, but we know the five stages of having your kids home from college.

Stage 1 – Anticipation: You have been counting down the days on a calendar (“So retro, Mom”) or a nifty Facebook app (“Mom. No one does that. Like no one. Ever.”). You clean the house, leave a pile of interesting articles you’ve cut from newspapers on their bed, and buy all of your son or daughter’s favorite foods.

Stage 2 – Excitement: You pick your son or daughter up at the airport. You carry an entire bag of dirty laundry to the car and refrain from asking them why they didn’t just wash it at school. You cook their favorite dinner then proceed to ask them 20 – okay, maybe 200 – questions about school, their love life, and whether the campus is safe. Things are great! Your child is back and you are thrilled to get to spend quality time with them while they are home.

Stage 3 – Disappointment: Your son or daughter starts hanging out with his or her friends. You realize you won’t actually get to spend as much quality time together as you had anticipated.

Stage 4 – Annoyance: Your son or daughter comes home late, makes the third stair squeak late at night, and has noisy friends over constantly. You are starting to remember their time in high school. There is a pile of dirty dishes in the sink and a pile of clothes on their floor.

Stage 5 – Anticipation (again): You make your son or daughter have a family dinner the night before they leave. You drive them to the airport the next day. You come home feeling nostalgic and lonely and set a calendar countdown or Facebook app countdown for when they will come home next.

Time may go by faster than usual, but the best part about having your son or daughter back from college is knowing they always have a place to call “home.” Now to get ready before their next visit!

Recommended Reading:

-7 Reasons You’re Secretly Jealous of Your Dollhouse Family

-90’s Nostalgia: Doppelgängers to our Favorite 90’s Television Homes

-Oh, That’s Scandalous: Dirty Little Secrets

-Moving Advice You Should Not Take From Stock Photos

-5 Zombie-Proof Houses Your Family Won’t Be Caught Dead In

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