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Helping your kid navigate the transition to college doesn't make you a helicopter parent

WXXI News | By Beth Adams
Published August 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT
First-year student Tebau Daniels, far right, a mechanical engineering major from Baltimore, Md. moves into his RIT dorm in 2025. Also pictured, from left: father Elliot, brother, Mike; mother, Melissa in 2025.

Scott Hamilton / RIT

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Provided
First-year student Tebau Daniels, far right, a mechanical engineering major from Baltimore, Maryland, unpacks in his dorm room. Also pictured, from left, are his father Elliot, his brother Mike, and his mother Melissa.

It's back to school time, and for some students, the beginning of their college career.

It's a big life transition for both students and their families.

Click on the LISTEN link above or watch the video for tips on how to handle this life stage, from Chelsea Petree, director of Parent and Family Programs at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Local News
Beth Adams
Beth Adams is the local host of All Things Considered for WXXI News. She joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.
See stories by Beth Adams