We moved Natalie into her dorm over the weekend.
Moving girls in is much different from moving boys in. I mean, I figured. Natalie has accessories. More clothes. Certain decor. Her stuffed animals that she "cannot leave at home because they'll miss her."
Tommy?
Well, he just grabbed this inflatable palm tree and he was good to go.
I'm kidding. He had more stuff. But not nearly as much as his sister.
I also made up Tommy's bed. Mind you, he is quite capable, but I don't know, there's something about setting up your child's room to make sure they will be comfortable.
Natalie wanted to do it herself. And her bed isn't finished yet. She wants to add lights, flowers, etc. To make it pretty.
Natalie had more bags to carry in. But thankfully we got a close parking spot, so it only took 3 trips to lug it all inside.
With Tommy I was able to help him unpack more, but Natalie has specific ways of wanting to do things, so she said she'd do it herself.
Leaving her felt a bit harder too. This is because she's tiny and sweet and I always worry someone is going to kidnap her. I know she'll be okay, but I watch way too many episodes of 20/20. I tend to get paranoid.
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She is settling in. Classes start Monday. She likes her roommate.
And yes, she eventually plans to unpack her bags of clothes.
I loved the contrast between Natalie’s decor dreams & Tommy’s laid-back approach (that palm tree!). We weren't able to help our oldest move into their dorm because they went from FL to WI (we did make it to orientation beforehand, though). Between us & family shopping online & shipping it all there, it made it easier. Thankfully, their bff lived nearby, so we shipped it all to them LOL. I wish I had that opportunity like you.
ReplyDeleteYour comparison of moving Natalie versus Tommy is so charming. Natalie’s thoughtful unpacking and decor dreams alongside Tommy’s laid-back 'inflatable palm tree' approach made me smile and perfectly captured how siblings can be worlds apart.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a big difference when boys move in, I felt the same way! It was much more of a process with my daughter; she had just about everything you could imagine to set up her room. My son, on the other hand, was just like Tommy, totally laid-back with a quick, simple dorm setup.
ReplyDeleteI so disagree with this. My son was harder than my daughter to move into college. He packed 6 pairs of shoes and had to have a mattress topper with straps. Thankfully the college had students with carts to move it all into his room.
ReplyDeleteI've not gotten to the stage of doing either myself but I can imagine this could be the case. My son is like yours, he has much less stuff he needs than my daughters. They'd need a whole van each lol!
ReplyDeleteHaha, this really hits home! Girls definitely seem to bring a whole production with them, while boys keep it way simpler. And yep, that worry about the little ones is totally real, no matter how grown-up they get.
ReplyDeleteGirls always have fun stuff they have to put up and decorate with! Boys are a lot easier when it comes to decor and furniture. My son is pretty simple when it comes to things for his room. I dont know how I'll be when he goes off to college, probably a mess, haha! I hope they both have great first days!
ReplyDeleteI totally feel you! I'm helping my kid pack up for college this week and moving her into an apartment. Moving her into a dorm last year was a challenge, but we learned some lessons and won't make the same mistakes this year.
ReplyDeletelol. I can just imagine! We girls can be a lot! lol. I’m girly when it comes to wearing pink and flowers, but I don’t really wear makeup or jewelry. I still have a lot of jewelry in my house though! lol. I just don’t wear most of them! I have a few stuffed animals! It’s cute that your daughter wants to take her stuffed animals with her. I understand you about worrying about her. That’s a parent’s job! lol. My parents, especially my Dad, watch a lot of 20/20 too, and it made my dad very cautious as well! When I was little, I was a very friendly child! I would go up to anyone and introduce myself, and my parents were scared I’d get kidnapped too! lol.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, moving boys into a dorm is usually simpler. Girls often bring so many essentials, from décor to sentimental items. I remember helping my sister move in; she packed everything, even her marlboro jacket, saying it reminded her of home and comfort. It’s emotional, not just logistical, for many girls.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess girls really have more stuff than boys. I remember when I moved during college, I had to bring my books and stuffed toys too. I just couldn't leave them behind.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely something I can relate to! Kids seem to bring a lot to school these days, and girls usually have a lot of decor they have with them!
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