The Role of Parents in Post-Secondary
Posted on April 13, 2022 by Holly Education Coach, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
You've been there for your child for their whole life, but everything is about to change.
As parents, step-parents, grandparents, or guardians you have been encouraged to be involved in your child’s education since they were in preschool.
You have been told the best way to support your student is attend parent-teacher meetings, sit on the PAC, read with your child, help with homework, and give them the best possible start to their education.
You’ve done a great job!
But when your child enters college or university, everything changes.
In the eyes of the university (and the privacy rules the school must adhere to) the student is an adult. The laws in BC, Canada state that nobody at the school may release any information about the student to anyone without prior written consent from that student. That consent will likely be limited to certain types of specific information, such as tuition costs.
Privacy policies don’t even allow staff and faculty to confirm or deny if your student attends the institution or has ever set foot on campus.
For a parent who is used to being involved in the decisions your student has been making since kindergarten, this can be an extremely challenging adjustment, but if you don’t adjust it can actually be harmful to your child.
Academic advisors, professors and admission offices expect your child (now, young adult) to be able to navigate the university without parental interference. If a parent phones to make an appointment for a student, asks all the questions in an advising appointment, demands to speak to a professor, or writes an email on behalf of the student, college and university folks see that as a very big red flag.
In some cases it could harm your young adult’s chances of being admitted to their program of choice.
Your young adult is in a phase of psychosocial development that is necessary for them to transition into adulthood. They need to be given the chance to develop their own autonomy, make decisions for themselves and exercise their agency. They need to become strong, independent citizens.
It can be hard, but as a parent it is especially important to view “mistakes” as learning experiences during this time.
As an Education Coach, I am one step removed from your role as parent, and I am an expert when it comes to navigating university systems.
I will work with your student to make sure they are connecting with the correct people, in the correct way. This includes proofreading emails and helping your student to prepare a list of questions for advising meetings. I can attend the first advising meeting with your young adult to make sure both you and they will have all their questions answered.
I will be available to them, and you, offering sound advice, support and suggestions, while teaching them how to become independent.
Your student will always have someone to turn to when they have questions. This is a time when young adults may not want to discuss everything with their parents, but they may be more likely to discuss things with me as their education coach.
Your new role as parent, step-parent, grandparent or guardian is to be a support for your student and to encourage them to progress into adulthood by making their own appointments, thinking of their own questions to ask and allowing them some room to make mistakes.
Education coaching (academic life coaching) is a way for you to bridge that gap, not only for your student, but for yourself and your own peace of mind as well.
It’s one of the best investments you can make for the future success of your young adult.
If you would like more information about Education Coaching please contact me personally at Holly @educationcoach .ca
I’m happy to discuss how I can help your student navigate their first year of university, college, or other post-secondary education.
