As children grow into independent young adults, many parents yearn for the days of hanging their child’s artwork on the refrigerator, packing brown paper bag lunches full of cartoon-themed fruit snacks and embarrassing heart-shaped sandwiches, and driving the minivan around town to soccer games and band concerts.

While college is a time for change and personal growth, students should still remember the people who helped make it possible. Here are some small, kind ways students can display their appreciation for their parents.

*Spend quality time with them when you get the chance*

When your parents come down to visit for a weekend, plan activities that you can all do together as a family. One great opportunity is Dads Weekend, which kicks off on Friday, November 11.

Students have another chance to spend time with their family during Moms Weekend, which occurs in April.

Students can also honor their parents by nominating them for King Dad or Mom of the Year during Moms and Dads Weekends. Within the application, students get to explain what is special about their parent and why they appreciate them.

When you are spending time with your parents during any weekend, remember to show them around campus and introduce them to your friends.

“As any parent can probably attest to, parents have always worried about their student’s safety, and about what’s going on in their student’s life,” said Emily Lyons, parent programs specialist at the University. “The more familiar parents get with their student’s new environment, the better they feel knowing that, even though their student is far away from home, they are in a safe place, they are having fun and they are enjoying their new second home.”

*Remember special occasions*

Show your parents you are thinking of them by sending them gifts on special events such as birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. Anne Johnston, owner of Campus Florist, said that students often come by to buy flowers for their parents.

“We send flowers all over the world by contacting florists in other locations. We have dealt with people from Canada, England and just all over. We also deliver in town and to a lot of cities around the area,” Johnston said.

Some popular flowers sold at Campus Florist are roses, orchids, gerbera daisies, irises and stargazer lilies.

“There are so many new flowers in the market now, and there are multiple flowers that you put together to make bouquets,” Johnston said.

Other items that are perfect gifts to send to one’s parents include candles, balloons, candy and vases.

*Write a letter*

Social media and advanced technology have made parents merely a phone call away. Though it is easy for students and parents to keep in touch, a quick text message does not have the same significance as a heart-felt handwritten letter. Sending a letter is a simple but thoughtful way of showing your parents that you are thinking of them.

*Talk to them*

This tip may sound the most apparent, but it is one of the best ways students can show that they care. Catch up, ask how they have been doing and update them on what has been going on in your life. Try having a conversation that goes beyond one-word answers.

“During this time period, there is a transition where students stop being a child, and start being more on the same page with their parents,” Lyons said. “You almost get to build a friendship with your parents, instead of that typical younger child-to-parent relationship.”

By talking to each other, students can continue to develop this new relationship with their parents.

*Thank them*

Thank them for visiting, sending care packages, helping you with college and everything else that they do. Let them know how much they mean to you.

“When a parent sends a care package, they want you to feel really happy and excited and loved. A good way to be thoughtful is just recognizing when parents make that extra effort for you,” Lyons said. “It really means a lot to just say, ‘Finals were really hard, and it made it better to have some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups,’ or ‘Yes, I really did appreciate that, and I recognize that you took your time, and you went above and beyond to try to do something really nice for me.’”

While you may be stressing over the seemingly never-ending exams, meetings and deadlines, you should remember that your parents are still missing and thinking about you back at home. When you find those five spare minutes, call up your mom for a small chat or send a text with a quick hello. It will always be appreciated.