As summer winds down and structured school planning ramps up, parents of boys and young men face unique challenges. At Causeway, we see various issues present themselves depending on your son’s age and life experience. Here’s our tailored guide to help you support your sons through this transitional period, with some input about what Causeway Collaborative can do to help you and your family every step of the way.

College First-Timers: Supporting Independence

For many college freshmen, this is an exhilarating time filled with new experiences and opportunities. As parents, it’s crucial to support your sons while giving them space to grow. Here’s how to do it without being overbearing:

• Set a Regular Check-In Time: Establish a consistent meeting time with your college-bound son before school starts. (Pro-tip: We’ve found that Sundays work well.) This gives him a reliable slot to discuss how things are going without feeling micromanaged.
• Be Proactive, Not Reactive: If you anticipate potential issues, address them early rather than waiting for Thanksgiving to discover he’s had a rocky start. Early intervention can make a big difference.
• Focus on Process Over Results: Emphasize how your son is approaching college life rather than just his grades. For example, ask him about the tools he’s using to stay organized, if he’s enjoying his classes, and ask some general questions about his overall enjoyment levels. “Optimistic curiosity” will help you get a real sense of his experience rather than making him feel pressured about his grades.

How Causeway can support:

Our team knows that a successful launch to college is key. Think your son may struggle with the start of college? A Therapeutic Mentor can help guys sharpen their executive functioning while ensuring their social side, habits, and routines are all dialed in. (And please try not to worry: We’ll know pretty early on if a kid is tracking based on his engagement and ability to stay organized through the first few weeks of classes.)

Could this be good for your son? Contact us today, and we can work with him remotely to get him ready.

Comeback Kids: Prepping for a Second Crack at College

Did your son have a successful freshman-year fall and a bad spring…only to spend Summer 2024 reviving his transcript juuuuust enough to transfer to a new school? The stakes can feel high after a challenging first try at college because these guys often need more structured support to ensure success. We’ve got you covered with these tips:

• Maintain Regular Support: Encourage your son to engage with mentors and programs throughout the entire semester. In our experience, the regularity of weekly check-ins will give him the guidance he needs to stay organized and accountable.
• Manage Your Own Anxiety: This is such a tough one, but the truth is, parents often feel incredibly anxious and pressured to see immediate results. Instead, try focusing on helping your son buy into the process independently of your feelings (…because what you project, they’ll absorb). Boundary-building is key here. Hard…and, key.
• Understand ADHD: In our experience, many returning students may have had ADHD at the root of their challenges. If that’s your son…recognize that this journey takes tiiiiime. Understanding the long-term process of managing ADHD can help set realistic expectations and provide better support. (Click here in our Resources section for things you watch-listen-read to learn more about ADHD symptoms and what you can do to support him.)

How Causeway can support:

Parents of Comeback Kids are often incredibly nervous with good reason: you’re spending a lot of money on school and want to see results. Causeway’s Futures and Mentorship programs keep us heavily connected with your son because we want his first semester to go well. Throughout the semester, we’ll work with him weekly (even multiple times a week, if needed) to keep him organized and accountable…even helping him through the transfer process, if he needs it.

(And for our nervous parents…guided by our Chief Clinical Officer Nicole O’Brien, Ph.D., we’ve implemented family therapists in our Causeway toolbox of offerings to help you feel confident about our long-game support approach. Book a discovery call here.)

Rising High School Juniors and Seniors: Preparing for the Future

Ahh, the fear of the unknown (…and we’re talking about parental fears). The paranoia that can come from worrying your best-laid plans won’t outwit your son’s apathy and lacking motivation is palpable…and, it’s also very surmountable. We promise. (Insider Intel: Causeway’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Vince Benevento, reminds that virtually no 17-year-old boy is psyched to research college.)

The transition from high school to college can be filled with anxiety, especially when it comes to planning and meeting deadlines. Here’s how parents can help their high schoolers navigate this critical period.

For Seniors:

• Plan Ahead: Use August to get a broad lay of the land for the upcoming school year. Earmark dates and places for college visits, and plan for ACT/SAT tests or test prep…but don’t be too forceful: your son’s no dummy, and knows it’s still technically summertime. (Insider Intel: Our Chief Operating Officer Justin Carotti says that his team usually needs about a month of services to get a college essay and common app processed, so even if we’re all talking about this in August, we’re ahead of the game.)
• Set Realistic Expectations: Understand that excitement and enthusiasm for college planning may be rare with a capital “r.” Compliance and willingness to follow guidance are good behavioral signs of readiness, so try to take them as wins.
• Blend Support Services: Utilize a mix of Causeway’s Futures and Mentorship programs to ensure both academic and social aspects are covered. Light, strategic support can help them start the school year on the right foot.

For Juniors:

• Academic Support: Focus on providing academic support as needed. Juniors are often less engaged with college planning, so the emphasis should be on prepping them for a successful school year.
• Strategic Program Structure: Implement a supportive but non-invasive program structure that aligns with their need for independence while ensuring they stay on track academically and socially.

How Causeway can support:

A solid blend of Causeway’s Futures and Mentorship offerings works well here, with Futures focused on college planning and Mentorship focused on making sure the school year kicks off well. (Insider Intel: If you sign up your son now, he should know that August communication is pretty light—as in, maybe only a few meetings before school starts. That said, our team’s always in the background getting ready to amp things up.)

Transitioning from summer to school can be challenging, but with the right approach and Causeway in your back pocket, you can help your sons navigate this period smoothly and set them up for a successful year ahead. If you let us, we cannot wait to serve you.

Learn more about our services here.