Having your college student come home for Winter Break can be a thrilling experience for you and your family, but if you are not fully prepared, things can go awry quicker than you would expect! Here are some tips on how to take care of your post-finals college student during this holiday season:

1. College student-proof your house:

College students are very sensitive to the sight of notebooks, pencils, and lined paper during this time of year. They will be weary of it at first, so introduce it to them slowly until they are comfortable with these items being in their vicinity.

2. Introduce them to a healthy & home-cooked diet:

During Finals Week, studying takes up the majority of your college student's schedule, which leaves eating as an after-thought. This causes their diet to consist of coffee, Ramen and the occasional candy bar for that surge of energy in the middle of the day. They most likely haven't eaten anything that comes from a stove or an oven, so start to wean them off the junk food and feed them some wholesome home-cooked meals. Don't worry if they don't thank you for a few days for it...they're most likely just too tired to form sentences.

3. Socialize them:

Your college student isn't familiar with the big, wide world outside the four walls of the campus library, so it might take them some time to get used to your schedule and other people. Be patient with them. They will learn quickly and remember how much fun it is to see their friends and family from home.

4. Let them sleep:

Letting your college student sleep will aid in their willingness to be social and give them the energy they need to take on the next semester with motivation and confidence.