Baby Boomers and the Empty Nest
Now that autumn is here and your college-aged kids have moved out, you may be feeling unsettled, even melancholy. This can be a complicated time of transition for some families - but not all.
For some parents 'no kids at home' represents a fresh start. Here's what Mira had to say after her youngest child went away to college: "This is the only time I've been completely free since my daughter was born. I spent months after she went away to college just relaxing and doing whatever I wanted, until I got bored. And now I've enrolled in graduate school - I'm going to pursue my passion for learning and an MBA."
So let's figure out what it is that you're really thinking about - how they'll get along in school or how you'll adjust to the empty nest?
All week we'll be focusing on this timely topic and we want to hear from you. If your kids are away at school, what are the unexpected feelings you are dealing with? And, if this transition is behind you, what words of wisdom can you share with all of us?
Settle into the subject by clicking on the title of this post. That will take you to HerMentorCenter.com and an article about How to Love your Kidults by Letting Go.
Labels: a fresh start, Baby Boomers, college aged kids, empty nest, kidults, letting go
posted by Nourishing Relationships @ 7:01 AM
6 Comments:
The intensity of empty nest syndrome has a lot to do (in my view) with the level of energy, intimacy, and development that was maintained throughout the childhood rearing days. Inother words, If you let your whole life become "taking care of the kids" then yes... it will be abig shock when they leave... You might even question why you are with your spouse in the first place.
You shoudl never loose sight of your relationship... the reason there ARE any kids in the first place...that is the key.
My husband and I could afford for me to stay home and raise the kids, and that is exactly what I did. I loved those years but now that they're gone I'm back to square one. Not sure where to begin but i'm working on it. Jane
I have always worked and will continue to do so when my last kid leaves for college next fall. I have four gone now and when each one left home I felt some guilt about not having been around enough. But like so many families, that's what we had to do.
I utterly enjoyed my reading on your blog. Clean writing and you know the tactics of grabbing readers through letters. Good.
You are right (Anonymous), when your life has been dedicated to child rearing it can be very tough, especially if your husband is still working.
Throughout the child rearing days it is ideal not to forget yourself (what you like...you are passionate about for yourself) and keep at it whether it be writing, macrame, cooking, dogs, horseback riding, running... whatever. When they go... you can just go back to that....
When your children have married and gone, and you retire: another shock. The advice is the same. Get closer to your spouse and nurture all those things for which at one time or another you said: I wish I had time to... get golf lessons, dare with computers, write, paint. Life will shift and you will find yourself once again saying... when I have time...
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