What do you feel when your son/daughter leaves home and starts a new independent life somewhere else? I guess it's just nature, we all do it sooner or later, but since I got no kids, I cant imagine what the parents feel when that happens.
Somebody been there?
I felt happy when my kids left. They were starting a new life, and were raised with a good outlook. I'm happy for them.
Well, as many know, (from experience or from someone else's experience) today many adult children return after/during secondary schooling, or when a relationship fails (horror, even at 35 years old!!)
So, when the nest empties .... the suggestion is to move to a single bedroom condo or better yet, move to a bachelor suite with an awesome view!!
(WMM is gonna laugh at this one!)
Van
I don't own live birds(taxidermy birds, yes)nor do I have children.
Well, I've been an empty nester for over a year. Only one child and he's going to university roughly an 8 hour drive (by the fastest highway route) from home. And he's pretty much living there fulltime. Even his co-op job this coming summer is there, meaning he's unlikely to be home until Christmas, though we have planned at least two trips up there for the spring (his birthday and the break between end of semester and start of co-op).
It probably took most of the first year to get used to not having him here. Our house is really a bit big for three people, let alone a couple, and we really feel it now. OTOH, it's made life a bit more quiet and routine. He was a classic rebellious, cranky teen for the last few years before he moved away so the break from that has been nice, though he's also matured into a hardworking, top-notch student.