When you hear the words "sorority adviser" you probably think of a mother with adult kids. However, it may be a different case for some women who wish to be involved with a local chapter or a chartering chapter that comes to your collegiate campus. Many advisers may be new mothers or mothers with high school and college aged children. As the kid of a sorority adviser, there are many things I have learned from watching what happens on the other side of the spectrum.

When dealing with advisers you need to treat them with respect. The positions they take are not paid and they do it because they want to be involved with your chapter. Many times the women that come forward to help your chapter or are personally selected by others throughout your organization because they are well recommended or they are an amazing alumni member who did a lot throughout her time in college in her respective sorority.These women want to help you succeed and be your guide as you go through your time in sorority life. They will talk to you and work with you to the best of their abilities.

Although they are excited and willing to help you as much as possible they cannot devote every waking moment to the organization. They have jobs that they work, many still have families that they are taking care of, and they have other responsibilities. When you may feel like you need something from them, try to be reasonable in your request. If it is 8 p.m. on a Saturday night, it may not be best to ask them to do something for you. They may have plans with their family, their friends, they may be away from what it is you need and they do not have readily available access to it. So if they are unable to help you, please just wait until they can help. Please do not get mad at them for not being able to immediately fulfill your request. In doing so, you may cause them personal issues because they had to drop everything in order to help.

Also, your advisers deserve as much respect as an adult you meet in your daily life. If you disagree with your teacher, would you immediately go to the head of your college over something as small as a difference of opinion and report the teacher? I didn't think so. When speaking to any of these women you also need to remember that most of these women are mothers. Now ask yourself this, if your mom made you mad would you completely disrespect her and treat her awfully just because she didn't agree with you? No, or I'd at least hope you are mature enough to have a difference of opinions. You are a young woman who should be able to carry herself in a decent manner when dealing with a conflicting opinion between yourself and an adult.

Something else that I think about as an adviser's kid is the fact that when you are in a sorority, you are in college. Regardless if you just started a chapter or are a part of the oldest chapter on your campus, you need to learn how to take responsibility for yourself as a member in all aspects. It allows you to begin growing as an individual in college. You cannot expect the chapter to be totally run by your advisers. They are a resource to use in order to run things more efficiently. They are so much more than a checkbook holder, access to a credit card, or access to decorations. They are your potential future references, mentors, and possibly a teacher.

As the kid of an adviser, just remember that these women are here for you and to help you. What they do is not out of malice of spite, it is to set the rules for how an organization is meant to be run. If you get frustrated that you email an adviser and do not receive an immediate response, step back and think that they might be busy sending off their child off to college for the first time. They could be trying to make sure that everything is lined up for their job tomorrow or even working on things to help your organization.

Please remember that they have your best interests at heart. They have lives to live as well as you do. You have friends, class work, possibly a job, and sorority life to balance out which they have been through too. They want to help you and guide you through the stresses that school and sorority life may offer. Let them be the help you need. Let them teach you from what mistakes they made during collegiate sorority life. They want to see you succeed as much as you want to succeed.

Just remember that it is okay to cut them some slack. It's all I ask as the child of a sorority adviser.