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The Friday List-down: Home For The Holidays?
Welcome to the Friday List-down. (If you don't get it, then watch one or two of these videos, and then get back to us.)
For college students, a few short months of freedom from parental units can mean that heading home for the holiday break is like going back in time. We remember it all too well, so here are some Campus Progress tips on how to minimize potential embarrassments (and long term emotional scarring) upon returning to a life of adult supervision and high school nostalgia. You’re welcome.
Do: Read the labels
Love Actually *is* rated R. It may just be a romantic holiday comedy to you, but Grandma might not love the naked simulated sex scenes.
Don’t: Show off your bartending skills
Mom and Dad don’t need to know that you’re capable of making a fuzzy navel or a Long Island iced tea. If you simply can’t resist the temptation to crack open a bottle of wine, at least let the parents do the pouring.
Do: Check the time
It won’t kill you to stick with curfew for a couple of weeks.
Don’t: Turn back time
Hooking up with high school crushes to prove something to your high school self is almost always a terrible idea.
Do: Prepare your pallet
Regular meals, at regular hours, with regular portions of diverse kinds of foods (veggies!) are likely in your immediate future. Embrace it!
Don’t: Be that person
Visiting high school during your holiday break, is well, obnoxious. Don’t believe us? Come on. You remember sitting in class when that person dropped by to say hello to old teachers. Do you really want to be that person?
Do: Show up Sandra Lee (not that it’s hard to do)
Just because you’re not showing off your bartending skills, doesn’t mean that you can’t bust out your cooking chops. It’s okay if it doesn’t taste good; it’s the gesture that counts.
Don’t: Be a thesaurus
Just because you’ve spent four months in college doesn’t mean that you need to drop words with four consonants
Do: Be nice
Your parents love you—try to keep the talking back at a minimum. It will almost certainly make coming home that much more enjoyable for all parties involved.
Don’t: Try to be a baller
There’s no need to show off with fancy pants gifts. You’re broke, everyone understands that; opt for creativity over dollar signs.
Do: Get your hands wet
Washing the dishes post-holiday meals are a great way to say, “I love you.”
Don’t: Forget where you are
Sexting with your hookup buddy from your parent’s basement is ill-advised, as is leaving your phone attended and unlocked if said sexting is taking place. At the very least, if you are sexting, don’t get emotionally involved.
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