Having your parents come visit for a weekend may not sound like the best idea.  For numerous reasons that’s true…they see the fridge understocked, the yard in disarray and the tables covered in dust. Well that is if it weren’t for my friends Home Depot, Publix and Endust. The amazing, parent-friendly results: A quick planting of mums in pots at my front door. Loads of healthy goodies from fresh fruit to hummus. And the grim-free tables shinning throughout my house.

So I got my place presentable, but you still ask, “What’s good about having the rents in town?”

I say, “What’s NOT good about having them?” Granted, I’m a big family person. I’m the one at Christmastime who makes everyone decorate the Fraser fir together. Thus understandably, I love having some family company.

Yet, even for the lesser family-obsessed students, you can always bank on the rents for something during their trip. When my mom and pop come to Athens, I count on them for the delicious food and wardrobe additions.

Thankfully they both love to eat as much as I do, so we pick out the best restaurants for meals. Not to mention the dining choices are entirely out of my budget. Think grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon and steak filets. Plus my dad’s gigantic sweet tooth ensures an average of four desserts per three people. Usually I’m eating the same tin of macaroons for weeks (even once they’re past expiration).

What’s more is that while Dad catches up on reading newspapers and magazines from the week, Mom treats me to a few new work outfits for the upcoming season. We’re not talking about buying out the downtown boutiques, but just having something to add to my closet sure is nice.

Your rents may not be the restaurant-goers or shopping types, but I’m sure their visit can add a little excitement. My neighbor’s mom cleans his townhouse thoroughly when she’s in town. Meanwhile my friend Ashley gets all the leftovers from her parent’s tailgate on home gamedays. Not such bad parental visits to our college lives after all.