How many of us are empty nesters?

I have a 17 year old at home. My daughter is 21 and getting married but she slowly left home little at a time. My difficult child is 24 and is not living at home but comes home a lot so I am still dealing with his neediness. It is different. Sometimes I feel it went by so fast.
 

SunnyFlorida

Active Member
It was in the beginning, although I really wanted and needed both of them gone.

difficult child 2 has only come back to stay when he got his wisdom teeth out recently. difficult child 1 stays the weekend with us when he's got Cayden.

I worry, but not like I did when they were 16 or so. I'm at a different point with both of them.

It's nice :smile:
 

judi

Active Member
We are technically empty-nesters - our sons are gone. However, we have our grandson every weekend. Does that count?
 

goldenguru

Active Member
Well we are relatively new to the empty nest thing. It has been an emotional adjustment for me. And for hubby ... though he's not as likely to admit it. Being a man ya know. LOL.

BBK: your comment cracked me up. Don't wish the years away. They go so fast.

judi: don't ya just love having grand kids? We have a 7 month old that is the apple of our eyes. She lived with us for 6 months until our daughter got married. We are quite attached to her.

I was just thinking how the empty nest is both good and bad. Bittersweet if you will. Because they are out of sight, there is an element of out of mind. But, for those of us who are type A, anal, control freak (thats a self confession) it is more difficult too. Because I just don't have the control I once did. LOL.
 
I am. I am still not quite adjusted to it. I agree with golden guru, it is an adjustment and bittersweet. The years do go by so fast. My son is finishing at the university and plans to move up north to pursue his career and my daugh has been living with her boyfriend for a year. I dreamed of this day but now that it's here I find myself missing the "busyness" of those exhausting days when I was cook, chauffer, and everything to everybody. Now I answer only to myself and husband and it has been a little difficult to adjust to my "free" time, although I do work full time....
 

hearthope

New Member
difficult child can never come back home, easy child is a senior this year and will going to college next fall...

husband and I have big plans to finally purchase a living quarters horse trailer and travel across the u.s. to the big barrel races!
 

Kathy813

Well-Known Member
Staff member
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DazedandConfused</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Empty Nester Wannabe, here!

I just wish I didn't have to get older too. </div></div>

That is definitely the downside. :rofl:

~Kathy
 

scent of cedar

New Member
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nomad</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I came down from the chandelier to type this. I am. </div></div>

:rofl:

Me, too ~ but between grandchildren needing to move in and kids needing to move home, only for a year and a half.

It's been really wonderful! (Even if I did have to get old to do it.) :smile:

Barbara

P.S. Guys! I was diagnosed with Lyme disease last Friday! Now, isn't THAT a kick in the pants!
 

sameold sameold

New Member
Count me in as an empty nester! Quiet and loving it for the most part. Once in awhile I get a little lonely, then I think of all the crisis moments. And the lonliness disappears. :smile:
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
I am an empty nester too,gg. This is the first time.
I worked really hard to make sure that my life was full of meaningful work that didn't include the kids. It helps to be busy. I am moving from one state to another, adopted 2 adult dogs from rescue, I do work from home. It's busy but I still have the feelings that you have. It is bittersweet to see easy child move on. He was a delight and continues to grow and be the young man of character we hoped he would be. He loves his new life and it is as it should be. He doesn't really need us to help him through day to day life. He seems to still ask opinions from time to time and he likes to call and share some wonderful bit of news.
Transitions are always full of wistful memories but just look forward with hope. Missing them is ok and missing the good stuff of parenting is ok(in my humble opinion) but I just know that there is so much more I have to contribute to their lives. It's just different type of parenting. In the meantime, I don't want the kids to think that I dried up and blew away because I am not waiting on their every word. I hope they see that life doesn't end when they move on.

I miss my boys on one level but it is as it should be.
 

Penta

New Member
I stumbled upon your post and was so glad to hear that your daughter is doing well. I remember the worry you had when she was a young teen.

I should be an empty nester after having one child or another at home for over 39 years....but, my 18 year old granddaughter is still with me. She has made a full turn around in her life since age 14. She is a student and employed at the mall, but is exploring her options as she heads toward 19. She thinks going abroad to travel, live and maybe work for a year is something she'd like to do. She's an adventurous soul. The uneventful life is not for her.

Enjoy this next phase of your life.

When I become an empty nester, my plan is to have my home base here in central TX and spend months at a time in my other hometowns, that I dearly love and miss.
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Youngest easy child is a senior in HS. Three down...one to go. :bravo:

Abbey
 

wakeupcall

Well-Known Member
After being forced into being an empty-nester when our son died at 17, we adopted difficult child as a newborn. difficult child is almost twelve now and I do NOT look forward to being an empty-nester.......should it ever happen.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
easy child is basically a year round college student now, she's only home 3 weeks a year. And difficult child is chomping at the bit to get out, so any day now it seems.

I'm about 90% sold on the idea of becoming an empty nester~
 
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