Gifts For Your Child's First Off-Campus Home
Your child made it through their first year in college living in the dorms on-campus, and you couldn't be prouder of them. While the dorm experience is an important part of college life, this year they are ready to strike out on their own and live off-campus. This is an exciting time in their lives and an important transition for both of you. As such, this moment needs to be commemorated with a gift (or a few gifts). To help you get started in your gift-giving endeavors for your child and their new home, keep a few useful and fun ideas in mind.
Candles
When your child was living in the dorms, anything with an open flame was probably strictly forbidden. However, now that they will be moving into a home of their very own, there are no rules against candles anymore.
A paraffin candle can make a space feel homey and cozy, helping to turn what is just a house into a home. As such, candles are a perfect gift for your child in their new home.
If you opt for the scented kind of candles, try to select scents that remind your child of home. Fruit scents or baked good scents are always a safe bet over more perfume-like scents, as food smells are more universally enjoyed than others. Also try to get a variety of styles like tapes, jar candles and tealights for more versatility.
Kitchen Supplies
While you may have supplied your college student child with a few kitchen odds and ends when they moved into the dorms (like easily washable and non-breakable plastic cups, bowls, and plates), this is not enough to stock an entire real kitchen. As such, kitchen supplies are among the most useful and thoughtful gifts that you can buy your child for their new home.
Other than the obvious choices of pots and pans, and a dining set, you may want to get your child specialty items like a good coffeemaker. College students are always on the go and trying to keep their energy levels up, and coffee is a large part of what fuels that. Choose a coffeemaker that is programmable with an automatic start and shutoff to help your child have coffee waiting for them when they roll out of bed for class in the morning.
Additionally, quality knives for cooking prep work, a food processor, a juicer, and a slow cooker are excellent kitchen gift ideas that will help to make your child's life easier. And it may save them from living entirely off of delivery pizza and fast food during their busy semesters to come.
Now that you have a few gift ideas for your child as they move into their first off-campus house, you can get started in your shopping and in helping them get settled into their new home.
