How Your Parents Become Your Best Friends

By Christina Oehler on March 2, 2015

I lucked out in the parental lottery. I mean seriously, to brag a little, I was blessed with two incredible guardians who have taught me how to strive to be hardworking and kind. I have always been incredibly close with my family, and although I think a family as close as mine is rare, I know many of my peers could agree that college changes your relationship with your parents.

I think that when people are thrown into uncomfortable situations, they cling to the comfort and security of their loved ones. As a college freshman I knew this feeling all too well: introduced to a new world away from home where everything feels foreign. Because of this, my relationship with my parents grew so much stronger- I found myself calling them every day, constantly planning trips to visit home and opening up to my family in a way I never had before.

College changes your relationship with your parents in a couple of ways. Primarily, they stop being just the rule enforcers, because if you’re smart enough to go to college, you’re likely smart enough to know how to behave in society. Your parents realize that you’re going to go to parties and drink, and they can’t ground you. But because you’re an adult now, you realize that making bad decisions is self-sabotaging, and you become your own parent.

You begin to realize your parents are more than just the people that bother you about getting a job and doing chores, because you realize that all of those comments are to encourage you to learn to take care of yourself. You begin to appreciate the assistance they give you, because you know it’s truly best for you.

Finally, you realize that they are your best friends, because they are your biggest cheerleaders, who are always going to love you unconditionally. You begin to realize you can thank them for your successes, and that you wouldn’t have been where you are today without them.

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