Wednesday 4 July 2018

How To Handle The Syndrome Common To Empty Nesters

By Robert King


Raising responsible children is one of the main purposes in a parent's life. There are many ups and downs in doing this. At some point in time, the child will leave home and begin their own, productive life. This leads to the problems faced by empty nesters, one of which is the sadness and dread of facing this. Though it should be joyful, it is not always for some parents.

Instead of feeling the emptiness and grief of a home without children, parents can take pride in their children. They are leaving home to start their lives, with the skills the parents have instilled into them. The parents can be proud that their children have the knowledge and responsibility they have been taught. They can look forward to the successes the children are going to enjoy.

If you are feeling this deep sadness, it is best to admit that instead of pretending all is well. You can be happy for your child and still feel a sadness and loneliness. Admit it and understand that it is normal. If the sadness becomes too bad, however, you may need to seek professional help for a period of time until the feeling passes.

One key to coping with the sadness is to think about things you enjoyed before you had children. Many of these have been forgotten about in the effort of raising your family. If they are still of interest to you, go back and enjoy them again. Or, at least find something that will be enjoyable to you.

It is now a good time to do something fun, and maybe a little crazy. Start a new hobby that you may have always wanted to do. Do something you would never have done when you had kids. Maybe you have always wanted to skydive or zip line. Now is the time. You can do it because you are not responsible for a small child if something happens.

This is also a great time to pursue career goals. You may have had to postpone things that would help your career. Now is the time to do that, be it additional schooling, or travelling for work. You can even begin a new career if that is your desire. No family responsibilities are interfering in your doing these things if you want to.

Travel, which is so hard when you have children is now possible. You can travel across the country or even internationally, if you choose. RV living is also now possible. If retired, you have no time restraints. Keep you identification with you and you can qualify for special senior prices and programs. You have unlimited possibilities now, with no children to consider.

Downsizing is very possible now, and may well be something you want. You can either downsize to something cheaper, or something smaller and more luxurious. Move to the beach, or to the mountains, anything is possible. You don't have to worry about what is best for your children, or about the best schools or doctors. You can get by with a smaller house now that you don't have children. You can get a smaller one, maybe one that is much more luxurious.




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