College Roommate Trouble? What Should a Parent Do?

If your child goes off to college for any length of time at all, chances are you will get that call one day that starts, “My roommate is driving me crazy…!”

When that call comes in, many parents jump into action, thinking it’s their job to “fix” the situation. It’s a syndrome that comes from the parenting styles of recent years, a concept sometimes referred to as “the helicopter parent.”

In reality, most roommate problems are usually small disagreements that can usually be solved between your student and the offending party. Remember too that sometimes the first thing a student does when a problem arises is call home. If your child is living in an apartment with more than one roommate, your chances of getting “the call” increases.

However, experts who deal with college aged kids say there’s usually no reason for parents to get involved in roommate troubles. In fact, most of the time just lending a sympathetic ear and giving your child a chance to vent is all it takes for them to figure out what to do on their own.

Of course there are issues that may require parental intervention. If a roommate stops paying rent, theft of personal property has occurred, or your child feels unsafe in the situation, by all means a little “Mom and Dad” intervention may be required.

Typically, tiffs between roommates are minor and will blow over within a few days, and most of the time the situation is resolved easier if your student handles it his or herself.