The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only - by Harlan Cohen (Paperback)

About the Book

Using Cohen's trademark style-with tips, statistics, quotes, and stories from parents and students, as well as expert advice--this guide tackles the most important topics on parents' minds when their kids are ready for college.

Book Synopsis

Your child is heading to college--and you're heading into the unknown.

From bestselling college transition expert Harlan Cohen comes the essential, laugh-out-loud survival guide designed just for parents. The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only delivers the honest answers, real strategies, and emotional relief that every college parent needs, but rarely receives.

Written in Cohen's signature warm, witty voice, this guide is packed with practical tips and real stories from students, parents, and campus experts. Whether you're worried about letting go, communicating too much (or too little), or simply wondering how to support your student without smothering them, this is your go-to resource.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Prepare Emotionally (and Logistically) - Navigate the summer before college with confidence, set boundaries, and learn why your silence might actually be a sign of success
• Communicate Without Clashing - Master modern parenting tools like texting, FaceTime, and location tracking--without becoming "that parent"
• Support Without Hovering - Understand the academic, social, and emotional terrain your child is facing and know when to step in or when to let go
• Tackle Money & Independence - Guide your student through budgeting, bills, and campus jobs while helping them take ownership
• Stay Connected (Even from Miles Away) - Build trust, reduce anxiety, and maintain a healthy relationship in this new phase

Booksellers recommend it as a top pick for graduation season and college send-offs, and parenting communities praise its ability to provide both guidance and a good laugh.

Whether you're parenting a first-year student or navigating this for the second (or third) time, The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only gives you the tools to support your child--and yourself--with confidence, compassion, and clarity.

Review Quotes

"This book has helped me cope with the most important issue first generation (sending your first child to college) college parents must learn - when to butt in and when to butt out. For this alone I must thank you, Harlan Cohen. " -- Good Reads with Ronna