Dear Ed,
Thanks to your whispers, I recently landed a paid internship in NYC. I don’t live there, but my cousin will let me crash at her place.
This internship may require that I attend events, and my mother thinks it’d be dangerous for me to stay out late in an unfamiliar city. How can I allay my mom’s fears about interning in New York City?
—Product of a Protective Parent
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Dear Product,
Oh, mother! Ed gets how hard it’d be to accept this opportunity without your mom’s blessing, so here’s your action plan:
Step 1: Have her read our site! She’ll instantly see that getting internships is the key to working in magazines. She obviously cares about your success; she just may not realize that an NYC internship is the ticket to it!
Step 2: Find someone from your hometown or college who interned in New York City and lived to tell about the experience. Ask if she’d be willing to address your mom’s concerns, then set up a time for them to chat. Your mom may feel more at ease after that convo.
Step 3: If you’ve got the funds, take a trip to New York together! The mean streets she may remember from the 70s and 80s are a lot friendlier now. Do lots of research on where to go while you’re in town and how to get from place to place, then show her how simple and safe it is to get around. Seeing first-hand that you can thrive on your own in the big city may be enough to persuade her.
If your mom’s particularly stubborn, then nothing may convince her. Remind her that you’re not asking for anything from her (you don’t need to borrow cash since your internship is paid and you have a free room) and that you appreciate her concern, but you’re going to do what’s best for you, and you hope she can support you.
Love,
Ed
