Letters: The start of school - a time of helping and letting go

ISSUE | BACK TO SCHOOL

A time of helping - and letting go

The seasonal transitions that come with the end of summer are upon us. Many students are ready for the routine of classes, activities, and seeing friends. For parents, there are the mixed emotions of getting back into another year while recognizing that their child is getting older.

As the dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, and the parent of a third grader and a kindergartner, I experience the full range of the K-16 spectrum. I also experience the range of parenting advice - when you need to be present, without hovering, and when you need to trust that you have prepared your child for that next step.

A few days before Penn's Convocation Ceremony ushering in the Class of 2020, I moderated a panel for the parents on "Information to Know Before You Go." They heard from those who fill the role of in loco parentis. No individual or school will replace the role of a loving parent or guardian. But we all have a role to care for, encourage, and challenge our children and the young people of our nation.

In the past few weeks, I have witnessed some of the most important transitions that parents experience, from the start of an Ivy League education to my friends' oldest children heading off to high school. With all of the attendant feelings as a parent and educator, my greatest assurance about these poignant moments came from my 5-year old daughter. When I offered to help her pack for just her second "sleepover" with friends, she gave me a huge hug and said, "No thanks, Dad; I'm OK."

|Eric J. Furda, Philadelphia