After all of these years, the kids are finally out of the house and off to college. Maybe you’re breathing a sigh of relief. Maybe you’re crying tears of despair. Either way, be glad you raised kids who actually want to further their educations.

The nest is empty, but you’re still a parent who wants to keep the bonds tight with your college kids. Fair enougn. Start by keeping in mind that college is a difficult time for young adults who are used to getting their laundry done and their meals made. A little parental attention goes a long way. Following are tips to being the parent that all of your kids’ college friends will talk about for years to come.

September: Send Care Packages

While going off to college is an exciting time for kids, it’s also challenging. All humans, even resilient teenagers, resist change. As much as they were looking forward to finally getting out of the house, they’re also nervous. They need a little reminder that lets them know you love them and they aren’t completely on their own.

So, send care packages. If you do this right, you will be the hit of the whole dorm floor. Include things like your child’s favorite foods, portable snack bars for breakfast on the go, homemade cookies, canned goods, mac and cheese in a box, and microwave popcorn. These dorm staples are invaluable late-night supplies.

October: Combat Homesickness

Most likely by October the kids are settled in. But, in college this means that the excitement has worn off and the difficulties have begun. Freshmen are finding ways to manage the vastly different college lifestyle. Classes are getting difficult, especially since your kids are regulating their own diet and sleep schedule. So, they’re tired, malnourished, and busy. Roughly, this means they are homesick.

So, send mail. Everyone loves getting mail, but no one more than college students. News from home can be a boost. Keep letters light. Include news they can share with their roommates - preferably funny stories. Dad fell asleep on the Lazyboy and fly flew into his mouth.

And what’s mail with the check, pre-paid calling cards, or mega-store gift cards? Well, it’s just pointless. You could email that funny story just as easily. So, make the mail call all the more valuable with a shopping spree or an easy way to call home.

November: Maintain Traditions

Thanksgiving is coming and most college students can manage to get home for a long weekend. By now, they are dying for the easy life of home cooking, free washers and dryers, and full cable.

So, plan on a traditional feast. Maybe you’ve always wanted to have Thanksgiving at a restaurant, but this is not the year to try something different. Make your kids’ favorites. As an extra bonus, ask if any of their new college friends want to come along. This is a crucial time in their friendship bonding. If your kids can say, "Come home with me - the food’s great, and we have lots of fun," then you’ve done something right as a parent. Also, don’t forget to make extra and send the kids back to school with leftovers.

If they can’t make it home this year for Thanksgiving, then go visit. College campuses are ghost towns during holidays. There is nothing lonelier. So, this may just be the year to try a restaurant for Thanksgiving.

December: Fuel Finals

The kids are in college for a reason. To get an education. And December is the month when this education is put to the test. The dreaded final exams. So, if your kids are like most college students, they’re cramming. Studying is never harder than the first year’s finals.

So, they need brain food. Send beef jerky for protein, something with caffeine, and chocolate to combat the inevitable depression that comes from all work and no play. Also, keep in mind that the end of the semester is when all of the financial reserves have been spent. College students are terrible with budgets. So, make sure your kids haven’t used all of their points on their meal cards or that they can buy the supplies for their end-of-semester science project.

January: Enjoy Vacation

Your kids are on break, so let them take a break. The most recent sleep studies have shown that sleep can be banked. So, let them make some deposits. Don’t vacuum outside their bedroom doors at 11am. Instead, enjoy these people they are becoming. Listen to their stories about their new friends and their professors. Don’t worry about sleep schedules when there is so much to know about these new people in your home.

Also, this is a good time to reevaluate the old house rules. Your kids have been on their own without any rules. Certainly you can only bend according to what you’re comfortable with. But, you might want to consider doing away with the curfew.

February: Send Valentines

Your kids have been in school for months now, which means they probably have their eyes on someone "special." You can bet that any romances have either gone unnoticed or have gone awry by now. So, don’t let Valentine’s Day be bleak. Send a card, candy, flowers, or a gift.

March: Spring Break

The stretch between winter break and spring break is an eternity in college-time. By the time spring break comes along, your kids really do need a break. If you’re super-cool, you’ll spring for spring break. But, a trip to Cancun is a lot to expect. Most students don’t take that big spring break trip until they’re seniors. But, nothing’s worse than returning to school with all of the tanned spring breakers with wild stories. So, plan something special so your kid doesn't spend the whole trip on the sofa. Consider a day trip to a nearby city, mall, or museum. Or maybe just spring for some sessions in the local tanning booth.

April: Build Resumes

Your kids are just trying to make it to the end of the semester without failing. But, you might want to start thinking about the summer. Ask you kids if they want to do an internship, get a job, or take summer school classes. An exotic option for those with the means would be an intensive language class abroad.

Now is the time to figure out what you can afford and marry that with what they want to do. If you’re on a tight budget, try to help your kids get jobs or paid internships that will build their resumes and their bank accounts. If money isn't an object, help them get unpaid internships in their field. Every bit of relevant job experience will help your kids after graduation.

May: Fuel Finals

It’s exam time again. So, send the brain food again - protein, caffeine, chocolate. It’s also time to move out. Moving out can be as traumatic as moving in. Now, they have to leave their friends and their newfound freedom. Be sympathetic. Your kids are mentally and emotionally exhausted. So, let them take a break and be grumpy for a couple days before you start telling them to pick up their socks off the bedroom floor.

June & July: Plan Moments

Don’t kill them. Try not to say, "because your living in my house and I say so," too often. They’ll want to be spending time with friends, playing video games, and watching cable. You’ll want your remote back. It might be a struggle.

Nevertheless, try to do some things with your kids that will be memorable. Right now you are establishing a relationship with the adults your kids have become. So, have conversations. Spend time together. Indulge in a shared interest - whether it be biking, riding roller coasters, or watching scary movies. Establish your relationship on new terms, as adults.

August: Pack Boxes

Whether it's kindergarten or grad school, the first day of school is always traumatic. So, help your kids pack the car with the comforters and laptops they begged you to buy them. Drive them to school, even if it’s across four states. Lug all of their crap up three flights of stairs and into their broiling little dorm room. Then, take them out to dinner before you trek back to your empty home. And don’t cry when you drop them off at the dorm. Just remember, they’ll be back!