05/22/2026
My college-aged son made a Spotify playlist called “Mom and Dad.”
At first, I was amused because I realized these songs are a mix of what my wife and I listened to in the car during his childhood. Then he explained the meaning behind it: he started listening to songs that reminded him of us when he began missing home.
For any parent with a child in college, you know that season is full of mixed emotions. You spend years preparing them to be independent — and then, when they actually are, you realize how much your family rhythm has changed.
College planning is often talked about in terms of tuition, housing, scholarships, student loans, and 529 plans. All of that matters, but there’s also an emotional side to planning. A playlist called “Mom and Dad” was a sweet reminder that even as our kids grow, the foundation we build at home still goes with them.
As your kids come home from college this spring, I hope your time with them is cherished and full of laughter.
Because in the end, planning is never just about money. It’s about the people and moments we’re planning for.
P.S. Apparently, he inherited my need to make mixtapes.
