AND WE'RE STICKING BY U., KIDS
Parents moving to be near college kids
When it came to raising their kids, Chad and Laura Mitchell didn’t miss a beat.
And when their flutist daughter Kahley got ready to fly the family coop in Northern Virginia to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance at Penn State in 2020, the pair realized they’d miss more than just the sweet sounds of the then-18-year-old’s whistle — they’d miss being her parents.
“We still wanted to be there for her — to support her through the drastic transition from high school to college and to be there for her performances,” Chad, vice president of TD Bank’s Corporate and Public Affairs, told The Post. “So we moved to her college town.”
Relocating four hours away from their home of three decades to State College, Pa. — a move that classified Kahley as an “in-state student” and saved the Mitchells thousands in tuition — was a “family decision,” said Chad, himself a Penn State alum.
“I was happy to make the move,” said Laura. “I think we created a bit of sanctuary away from the competitiveness of her major and gave her time to decompress, ask for advice and talk through any challenges she was facing.”
‘Purely selfish’
Chad and Laura are just one example of a current trend, where moms and dads are changing ZIP codes along with their children. And, in many cases, it’s to escape a life of loneliness.
According to May 2023 research from the Hunan Normal University in China, 43% of parents whose adult children no longer reside in the family home grapple with depression due to separation from their kids.
Like so many, Westchester single dad Jeff Vasishta has been feeling the pangs of having to part ways with his brood — and has tried his best to make a new nest for himself near daughter Milaan’s college campus.
“She’s been accepted to Bennington in Vermont, which is her dream school, and I’m excited for her,” Vasishta, 55, told The Post. “But I’d like to go with her.”
At the top of the year, the Britturned-New Yorker found himself pricing three-bedroom houses in the Green Mountain State. He planned to live there part time to be closer to his 18-year-old daughter when she moves out in August.
“It’s purely selfish of me,” conceded Vasishta. “But just thinking about not being with her makes me feel lonely already.”
The novelist also confessed to dreading the day his youngest daughter, Samara, a 16-year-old soccer prodigy, kicks it out on her own.
“I love being with my girls,” he said. “Whether it’s discussing books with Milaan or practicing with Samara — we just have so much fun together.”
For the kids, the idea of parting is not always so sorrowful.
Kahley Mitchell admitted her eyes widened in shock at the news that her parents and younger brother Charles, 18, would be moving six minutes away from her college grounds.
But, she told The Post, having mom and dad within spitting distance turned out to be an A+ asset.
“It’s really nice having my parents close by — they’ve been my support system,” said the graduating senior.
In fact, the zillennial has grown so comfortable with her folks being around that she’s actually ditched the dorms to bunk at their house.
It’s a budget-friendly move that more than half of her generation is making due to the recently skyhigh cost of living.
And Kahley said it’s like living every cash-strapped college kid’s dream. “My parents’ move [near my school] has been such a good way for me to save money,” she said.
Jaden Reed’s parents faced less hesitation on their daughter’s part.
When the aspiring communications major packed her bags for Iowa State University in 2020, her parents were loading up their luggage as well.
“My mom actually got a job at my school and moved 15 minutes away from campus,” Reed, 21, told The Post.
Her parents — who chose not to be named for privacy purposes — ditched family digs in the Quad Cities region in Eastern Iowa for the multihour hike to Reed’s turf.
The Gen Zer initially winced at the thought of being under their watchful eyes while out on dates and at parties.
“I literally thought I was going to see them everywhere I went,” said Reed. “But my mom and dad really give me space to live my life and enjoy my independence.”
‘Wants her own space’
So far, Vasishta hasn’t had the same luck getting his daughter on board.
His high hopes to plant new roots in Vermont were axed by an unenthused Milaan.
“She gave me a such a quizzical look like, ‘Come on, Dad! Really?’ ” he chuckled.
The girl’s grimace was the reality check Vasishta needed.
“I just ditched the whole idea . . . I could tell she wants her own space. And I need to live my own life,” he said. “But I will be FaceTiming her every day.”