I worried I didn't teach my daughter everything she needed to know to survive her first year in college. I gave her a crash course.

• When my daughter graduated from high school, I worried she wasn't ready for the real world.
• Before she left for college I gave her a crash course on laundry, cooking, and banking.

When my daughter graduated from high school and set her sights on college, I started to panic.

I realized I'd no longer be within yelling distance if Caroline lost her keys. I wouldn't be able to make sure her meals included vegetables or get her medicine if she woke up with a sore throat.

My thoughts spiraled. Had I done my job? Had I taught her everything she needed to know? Would she be able to survive without me in close proximity?

I decided to create a crash course on adulting. I made a plan that included shadowing, mini-lectures, and quizzes.

Now, as she's about to enter her second semester of college, I realize I had nothing to worry about.

She shadowed me as I did everyday things

Imagine "Take Your Daughter to Work Day," except instead of following me to the office, Caroline tagged along while I did household chores.

Sure, she'd done laundry, but did she know the ins and outs of the different cycles? We sorted clothes while I preached about what to wash on gentle and what doesn't go in the dryer. I explained the different options on the machines, oversaw her as she poured and measured the detergent, and showed her how to clean out the dryer lint.

Together we took her car to get a tune-up and an oil change. I took her to the bank, where she had a savings account, and she applied for a credit card. Then we went dorm shopping — I made her use her credit card to pay for a few purchases to build credit.

I incorporated lectures with quizzes into our days

For every task or chore I did that summer, whether Caroline knew how to do it or not, I explained what I was doing. I also asked plenty of questions to ensure she was learning as we went along.

"Do you know why you hang your towel up rather than let it sit on the floor?" I asked her. I told her how often she should change her sheets, and I quizzed her on how often she should water the houseplants she planned to take to college.

Even dinner prep was consumed by lectures. What used to be the time of day when Caroline would sit at the counter and regale me with the latest gossip from her friend group was now a food-safety seminar. We discussed things like why you wash your hands after touching raw chicken, how to wash lettuce, and the importance of checking dates on dairy products.

It turns out she was ready for all of it

Last September, when I dropped her off at school, I still had a million worries running through my head. She was only 18 and hadn't experienced everything I had. Would she know how to react in emergencies? Would she know when to ask for help?

It turns out the answer to all those questions was a resounding yes. On the second day of classes, the professor teaching Caroline's English class left to take another job. I found out about it after she met with her advisor, found a different English 102 class, went to the registrar's office, signed up for it, and bought the book at the bookstore. Caroline took initiative, asked questions, and figured out what to do all on her own.

She's kept up with her laundry, found an on-campus job, filled out a W-4, and texted a few pictures of dinner plates filled with fruits and vegetables. She finished her first semester of college and is about to start her second semester of freshman year.

I realized it's unnecessary and impossible to walk through every single life scenario with our kids. Hopefully they've learned a few things from their short time here on Earth and can think for themselves on the rest.