For a lot of moms and dads, making sure that their kids finish their education is their most important priority. It’s a parent’s job to make sure that their kids finish school, find a good job, and make a good life for themselves.
However, once the kids leave and the house is empty, a lot of parents feel sad, or even feel empty. This is called “empty nest syndrome.”
Don’t worry, it’s not an illness
In a nutshell, empty nest syndrome is not an illness, but it is a phenomenon that happens to parents wherein once their last child moves out of the house, they have sudden feelings of sadness or loss.
Most parents’ lives revolve around their kids. They work hard to provide for their children, and they do their best to make sure that their kids grow up to be smart, successful, independent, caring, and loving human beings. However, once their kids become independent, some parents feel that they’re no longer needed, as once the kids leave home, what else is there to do for mom and dad?
In some cases, the parents just become clingy with their children. Constantly calling them, or visiting their homes so that they can be with their kids again. For other parents, it can be worse, as they might show signs of depression, alcoholism, identity crisis, and it can even cause marital problems.
So how should you cope with empty nest syndrome?
Coping with empty nest syndrome
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind should you be faced with empty nest syndrome:
Accept it. Try and understand why your child is leaving home. You can also try and look back during your own experiences when you were younger and appreciate that you’ve done a good job in raising your child, and now it’s their time to find their own path in life.
Keep in touch. There’s nothing wrong with talking to your child a few times a week just to catch up with them. You can share your stories of when you first moved out, and you can give them advice in case they have any problems. You can also just tell them that you miss them, and they should come visit if they have the time.
You’re not alone. Don’t forget that you also have your spouse with you at home. They’re the best person to talk to when it comes to these feelings, and they can surely help you out in dealing with empty nest syndrome. You can also talk to your other friends who might have experience these feelings, so that they can teach you what they did to overcome it.
Look on the bright side of things. Now that it’s just you and your spouse, you’re going to have more time to spend with each other. Why not take a vacation, a second honeymoon, and just work on your relationship to make it better. If you’ve had plans that were put to a stop because you had kids, now is the best time to make your dreams come true! It’s your time to pamper yourself and do the things that you’ve always wanted, so make it a reward for yourself since you did such a great job in raising your kid!
Sources: psychologytoday.com, mayoclinic.org
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