With our oldest sons moving into their own apartments in September while they are attending University, we as moms tend to worry about them eating healthy, getting enough sleep/exercise, studying and of all things…Will they clean??!!
We know they do not like to clean at home, which is obvious if you have walked into your teen or young adult children’s bedroom and if their rooms are any insight , we have a big job on our hands to teach and provide some guidance on cleaning.
Most commonly heard in our home ‘Can you please pick your clothes up off the floor and MAYBE do some laundry..’
So we have enlisted the help of our friend and local business owner, Mariya of AM Cleaning Calgary to help us with tips and tricks to a quick and easy clean PLUS provide us with an Express Guide to Cleaning theBathroom.
**Take 2 – Apologies to our subscribers. Sometimes technology is not always our friend and I mistakenly published the last post before it was ready..**
Yikes!! Christine and I both have sons attending university this fall who will be moving into their own apartment/condo away from home. No more dorm life or living the sweet life at home.
There are so many things to think about when setting them up to live on their own.
All the essentials for cooking and eating at home (let’s hope they make healthy choices), bathroom essentials, linens, laundry supplies (fingers crossed they do laundry and not just rely on the SMELL test!), and cleaning supplies to help them clean, hopefully (I can honestly say that my son has not cleaned a toilet). That blog post will come at a later date.
For me ( surprise, surprise) it is all about eating healthy or relatively healthy. Let’s be realistic here, these are 19 year old young men, I can’t ask for miracles. Will there be trips to the nearest fast food restaurant for a quick bite or a pizza delivery every now and then, of course. So in my effort to set them up for healthy eating success, I have made a list with a good base of pantry items. Now I am not going to go crazy and add items like quinoa and lentils or other items I KNOW they will not eat. (some may but I know that these items are not first on the list for my child) But there will be items that are quick and easy to make because we know they will be studying and not have the extra time to cook, right :)..
Enter your email below if you would to see my compiled list of pantry items.
Essential Pantry Items
Pasta (whole wheat)
Rice (brown preferred but jasmine or basmati will work to)
Oatmeal (quick cooking)
Cereal/granola (Choose a low sugar higher protein content)
Tip – Head to Amazon.ca and order small jars and fill with spices from your local bulk store.
Pancake mix
Frozen fruit
Frozen vegetables
NOTE: I have not specified any brand names or labels on this list as we all have our favorites.
Let’s just hope they add some fresh fruits and vegetables to their weekly or bi-weekly grocery store stock up, maybe meal plan…LOL!! A mom can dream 🙂
I know I may have missed something but I hope this gives you a start to stocking a healthy pantry for your university student. Next stop, bathroom essentials and a discussion on replacing that toilet paper roll!!
It has really hit me this year. Summer is so different with Young Adults in the house. Unfortunately, although things have been changing subtly for the past several years, somehow this year has been the hardest for me. Perhaps it is because our youngest is now “really” independent, fully into her teens and our boys are actually adults. I guess we are realizing there is no looking back.
