By Mark L. Fendrick

With new CP’s checking in now, I thought this might be a good time to share some thoughts. This is an exciting time for our young adults and also perhaps a bit of a scary time … both for them and for their parents.

As parents, we have been accustomed to taking care of our children since birth. When they are born, we are responsible for every aspect of their life. We make all the decisions for them and do everything we can to keep them happy and above all, safe.

As they mature, it’s our job to hand off some of that responsibility to our children themselves … at appropriate levels of course. They learn how to make decisions and what to do to keep themselves safe. Our job as parents is to prepare them for the day that they take full responsibility for their lives and know how to do what is necessary and needed of them to have a good life.

As parents about to turn your young adults over to the DCP, you are nearing the fulfillment of this job. Your fledgling is about to leave the nest – for some it will be for a short stay while for others it will perhaps be the start of their independent life. No better place nor safer way for them to test their wings than as participants in the Disney College Program. It’s like real life with training wheels. Now you will get to see the skills that you have instilled in your son/daughter being put to use in a somewhat controlled setting.

Now is the time for you as a parent to take a step back and watch them make their decisions … and take responsibility. Will all of their choices be good ones? Heck no! But here’s the thing … they learn and grow more from the bad decisions even more than the good ones. Walt Disney once said, “It is good to have a failure while you’re young because it teaches you so much …”

Of course, you as a parent are still there to advise and support, and step in if it is truly serious, but for the most part, this is your son/daughter’s time to take the reins of their lives.

So, sit back and enjoy the adventure. You’ll be amazed at what your son/daughter can and will do, and you will be so proud of the young adult they will be at the end of their CP days. Let them fly … they will soar!