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Decorating a dorm room

Even though every teen is excited to head off to college, they may not want to admit just how much they are going to miss the feel of home. Try these techniques to bring home to any college dorm room.

College dorm

You are counting down the days until you have to pack up your teen and drop them off for their first year away at school. When you think about dorm rooms you can’t seem find anything warm and inviting about them, and you just want your teen to have a little bit of home with them once they are away. Try these tips for making your new college student feel at home… away from home.

Bedding basics

This may seem obvious but make sure you talk your teen into comfortable sheets, blankets and pillows and plenty of them. Being away from home means no more mom to help launder, fold and tuck in your bedding. Many teens will want the minimum amount of bedding but talk them into a little extra. A few more blankets, pitching in extra money for a higher quality comforter and decent sheets can make all the difference. A pillow that either came straight from home or feels like it did is a perfect touch too.

Try these great tips for how to make your bed super comfortable to make your teen’s new room that much more like home >>

CandleLook for lights

Most dorm rooms have a rule against burning any type of candles but there is something about candles and their warm glow in a room that just makes the whole place feel more like home. Find flame-free candles that still give off that luminous glow at almost any local Target or Walmart.

Seek out scents

Everyone’s home has a certain scent. Think about the candles that you burn at home or the soaps that you use and make sure to send the same scents you gravitate toward with your son or daughter. As much as they don’t want to admit it, your teen will miss the scent of home and something as simple as their old soap or vanilla-scented potpourri can bring back the warmth of home.

Do you constantly crave a certain scent? Find out what your favorite scent says about you >>

Out with the old, in with the old

Shopping for brand new bedding, bath and school accessories can be fun and a room full of shiny new items definitely sounds appealing but a few old things from home might be just what your teen needs. Whether it’s their old alarm clock, some favorite photos or even the same notepads you have been using from years, something a little “worn” might make a new place feel a little bit more familiar.

Food for thought

Make sure you send your teen off with their favorite foods from home. They may not know what they need because they have never planned a meal or filled a cupboard in their lives, so stock them up with the brands you buy and the ones they love. Bringing an extra bag or two of groceries when you come to visit will always be welcomed with open arms, too.

No matter what you do to make your teen feel at home in their new dorm room, it is truly the thought that counts. As long as they know you are behind them during this huge transition in their lives and are willing to support them as they adjust to life away from home, you can’t go wrong!

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