Empty Nests Support Group
Empty nest syndrome is a general feeling of depression and loneliness that parents/other guardian relatives feel when one or more of their children leave home. Empty nest syndrome has become more prevalent in modern times, as the extended family is becoming less common than in past generations, and the elderly are left living by themselves.
Hi
I have just found this forum when looking to see if I could find any held with the sadness I feel.
My eldest child will be 30 in 6 days, and a week ago my youngest left home. 30 years is a LONG time to have a nest-full!
Obviously they all went to university, and with the first 2 this felt like they were leaving home - however, of course I soon learned that the uni years are still very much home-based.
My youngest has been living at home for 3 years since he finished uni, and is now in a position to set up home by himself. Naturally, I am so proud of him, and pleased for him and feel a great sense of a job-well-done, having 4 kind, good and independant children..........................
and yet my heart is breaking and I cannot stop from erupting into spontaneous tears at the drop of a hat. My whole life has been devoted to the children, and now I feel redundant and useless, lonely and almost bereaved at the end of the one thing I ever wanted to do and am good at.
I would very much appreciate any insight as to how to move through this
Thank you, and God bless.
Jacqui.
I have just found this forum when looking to see if I could find any held with the sadness I feel.
My eldest child will be 30 in 6 days, and a week ago my youngest left home. 30 years is a LONG time to have a nest-full!
Obviously they all went to university, and with the first 2 this felt like they were leaving home - however, of course I soon learned that the uni years are still very much home-based.
My youngest has been living at home for 3 years since he finished uni, and is now in a position to set up home by himself. Naturally, I am so proud of him, and pleased for him and feel a great sense of a job-well-done, having 4 kind, good and independant children..........................
and yet my heart is breaking and I cannot stop from erupting into spontaneous tears at the drop of a hat. My whole life has been devoted to the children, and now I feel redundant and useless, lonely and almost bereaved at the end of the one thing I ever wanted to do and am good at.
I would very much appreciate any insight as to how to move through this
Thank you, and God bless.
Jacqui.
I'm having a party this summer to mark the change in my life - from a time where it was all about putting my dreams on the back burner - to now, where they are front and center - even though I'm trying to figure out what they are!
I'm redoing the entire house. I'm reclaiming it and repurposing it so that it fits with the direction I want to go. And I may get a room mate or two and do a Golden Girl sort of thing.
I get what you're feeling, though. I'm feeling that way too today. But I'm trying to push past it and do some fun things.