You made it! The kids made it home, the in-laws were tolerable, and there weren't a ton of gifts that needed returning. Now that everyone is headed back to campus, it's time to either let that old anxiety creep in or spend some time on the front end helping your college student develop a plan to be successful for the spring semester. January defines May. Let’s get started.

Don’t be an ATM for your college student. Before they even pack the car or head to the airport, discuss how much you are giving them and when you'll give it to them. Level set now to avoid the defensive position Sunday night when your son is blowing up your phone begging for spending money (or worse, paying off sports betting debt). I recommend putting money into the account 2x/month. Put it on them to create a budget which factors in their books, fun money and any other expenses. I also recommend a set limit for credit cards and regular (maybe monthly) checking on spending habits. Don’t wait till spring break or the end of the semester to have tough money conversations.

Money isn’t the only thing that needs to be figured out. Now we need to audit and organize everything else. Including clothing, car, computer, backpack, etc. This is not for you (the parents) to do. It’s for your college student to........

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