Maintaining Healthy Family Boundaries

Thu, 25 May 2023 12:37:34 -0400
family, relationships, site

Another year of college is coming to a close. An important part of growing and adjusting to college life, has been maintaining healthy relationships and boundaries with your family. In fact, college tends to bring a lot of newfound independence in one's life, and could even be someone's first time living away from home. This independence and transition into adulthood could possibly cause a shift in family dynamics that can be difficult for both you and your family to navigate. Know that if you are struggling with this, you are not alone. The summer serves as a great time to review how your college year went and how you navigated those relationships. Here are some tips to help you develop and maintain a healthy relationship with your family during your time in college and beyond.

Tip #1: Create a Budget:

Money can be a huge stressor for college students and their families. If you know you'll be relying on them for some financial support throughout college, it can be helpful to sort that out in a shared spreadsheet. Even if you aren't financially reliant on your parents, having a clear budget for yourself is still a great way to reduce a lot of uncertainty or stress regarding one's finances and spending. Make sure to be clear about your limits if you're also earning some money for the family, as you might need some savings for food, utilities, etc. Bottom line, make sure all aspects of the budget are clear to everyone in the family and yourself.

Tip #2: Communicate

Have a genuine discussion with your family about what your boundaries may be as you navigate college. Maybe you're living on campus and you know you can't be in contact with your family everyday. So schedule calls with them when both your schedules allow it. Both you and your family being flexible is incredibly important for transitioning and adapting to college life.

Tip 3: Actively Listen

Schedule time to talk to your family, hear out their concerns completely before you think of your own response, and ask questions. When communicating your boundaries, it's crucial to keep a patient and attentive attitude. These conversations are a two way street - your family should also do the same for you as well!

Resources

The move to college life is a huge transition, and it's important to note that students do feel the effects of strained relationships. Not addressing this strain can make the issue worse, lead to past issues coming up again, or even make present circumstances all the more hard to handle. If you are experiencing any challenges within your family, parental, or caregiver relationships, please remember to utilize the plenty of resources available to you at UMBC. They include:

1. Friends: Express your concerns/worries with a friend you trust.

2. Clinical Staff Members: Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) has counselors you can talk to. Set up an appointment by calling 410-455-2542.

3. Academic Advocates: They are available to advise and help navigate any challenges that may be personal, financial, academic, etc.

Depending on the situation, here are additional resources to consider:

Office of Health Promotion (OHP)

Residential Life (professional staff or RAs)

Women's Center

Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging - i3B

Office of Equity and Inclusion

Written by Peer Educators Anusha Mashriqui ('24), Public Health; Meghan Thomas ('24), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Nia Hopkins ('24), Psychology

Interested in becoming a Peer Health Educator? Learn more at healthpromotion.umbc.edu