Every year American parents undergo a strange ritual near the end of August: shuffling their children off to an out-of-town school while reminiscing about the days when the kids were young. And once move-in weekend has concluded, those same parents return home to an empty room once occupied by a little one. What to do with that space?
It is wonderful to dream about putting in a hot tub or transforming the now empty room into a customized man cave. However, that is not necessarily a good idea, at least not yet. Your student needs to complete his or her education, graduate and establish their own life before it is safe to claim that space as your own. And do not forget that your student will likely be coming home during breaks. He or she will still need a place to sleep.
We have come up with a couple of ideas for using that space while your student is away:
Staging Area
If we’re honest with ourselves, we would all have to admit we could do a little better at organizing our homes. Some of us have messy basements while others have not been up to the attic for decades. The extra time you now have without kids at home is time that can be used to organize. And your student’s empty room can be used as a temporary staging area.
For example, you can bring down all the boxes from the attic and sort through them in your student’s room. That empty room will offer a lot more space and personal comfort than would be afforded working in the confining spaces of the attic. If you do a little bit of sorting every day, you can have the project done before Junior returns for Thanksgiving break.
Project Room
Do you have a project you have been meaning to get done for the longest time? Sometimes we put off those projects because we do not want to cover the dining room table or the living room floor for weeks at a time. Nevertheless, your student’s empty room can be a great project room while he or she is away at school. So spread out all of those old photos and take a couple weeks to put together your scrapbooks.
Guest Room
One great way to make use of your student’s room and help someone in need at the same time is to provide guest room space. If you belong to a local church, you might inquire as to whether or not there is any need for temporary housing within your congregation. You might also contact exchange student organizations and let them know you have a room available on an emergency basis. There are many ways your student’s room could temporarily benefit someone else.
My Divine Concierge helps families just as yours better organize their homes and make the best use of available space. We can help you organize your attic, basement, garage, or any other room where clutter is taking over. Moreover, if you need help packing and moving your student to school, we can do that as well.
A personal concierge service like ours can mean the difference between a stress-free transition for your university-bound student and a nightmare move-in weekend you would just as soon forget. Let us help you make that transition as peacefully and anxiety-free as possible.