You walk through the door after dropping your baby off at college. Who knew that one additional person could add so much noise to the house. The silence is deafening.
Trying to hold back the tears, you wonder what she’s up to. Will he miss you? How long will it take her to call? Will he pay attention to a thing you taught him?
Even if the past few months have been challenging, there is something about an empty nest that jolts you into the reality that life is never going to be the same. Ready or not, the next season of life has arrived.
Experts say that couples who find themselves “alone again” often find it difficult to adjust. For years, schedules, meals, activities, everything revolved around the kids. This moment in time can feel like an identity crisis. The good news is you never stop being a parent. You just parent in a different way when the kids head off to college. Instead of directing, you now move into a supporting role.
At this moment, you may feel like you will never be the parents on television who said their sad goodbyes to their college-bound child and, in the next scene, were headed to Disney World. Take a deep breath and try some of these suggestions to help make the transition a bit easier.