Now here’s a scary thought. On one of his infrequent phone calls home, my college son casually mentions that his dorm room is really a mess.

Whoa. This comment really gives me pause, especially as I’ve seen firsthand his version of a “neat room” when that room was under my roof. And if that was neat, I shudder to imagine what would warrant use of the “really a mess” descriptor.

But that’s the beauty of your student attending college in another state: you don’t have to shut the door to his room to pretend it’s not there. Because you’re not there. You can’t do a casual reconnaissance even if (and that’s a big if) you wanted to. But the mental picture? Still frightening indeed. And that’s precisely why I subscribe to the “outta sight, outta mind” collegiate parenting credo.