If your son or daughter is currently enrolled in a Master of Healthcare Administrative program, or they have a start date of this coming fall, being supportive of them in their choice and throughout their studies will need to be a top priority. It’s a huge decision that they’ve made, since choosing a career path takes a lot of inner reflection. Here are some basic tips parents can follow to help their adult children through this stage of their lives.

Help Them Keep Their Eyes on the Goal

Just like with any university degree program, there are bound to be ups and downs. At times their workload may feel overwhelming, their stress can start to boil over, and they may even find themselves questioning whether they’ve made the right decision. This is a great time to help them focus and get their eyes back on their goal.

It may be helpful to point out that the top healthcare admin salaries can be as high as $127,330 in medical and surgical hospitals. This is a very healthy salary that can help them live a comfortable lifestyle. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for medical and health service managers in 2021 was $101,340 and there is massive growth in jobs expected between now and 2029. In other words, they have picked a potentially highly profitable career path with lots of job opportunities.

It comes down to that famous saying of “keeping your eyes on the prize”, and that’s what they need to do, especially in more stressful or difficult times.

Be Their Safe Space or Their Sounding Board

Sometimes your child may need to vent and discuss their frustrations, and other times they may want someone to share their accomplishments with. Either way, as a parent of a university student, you can be supportive by being their safe space and acting like their sounding board. You aren’t there to judge; you are there to listen. They aren’t children any more; they are adults that need to find their path in life, but having that person they can count on to talk to is essential. It also helps feed into the bond that the two of you have.

Celebrate Their Accomplishments

This leads to the next tip which is to be sure you celebrate their school accomplishments whether they are small or big. It injects joy and excitement into their studies and can help energize them to keep going. Of course, the day they graduate and get their Master of Healthcare Administration you'll want to plan a big celebration. Perhaps plan a party with family and friends, a dinner out at a favorite restaurant, or even planning a vacation to relax and reflect on all their hard work.

These tips will help you continue your parenting role even in your child’s adulthood years, helping them as they work towards their future career in the healthcare industry.