Many parents long for the day when their kids will be grown enough to fly the coop. Perhaps this is the epitome of what that age-old idiom means! Not only do the hatchlings get to leave mama chicken behind but mama chicken gets a chance to roam and play as well. If you are a parent with time on your hands now that the kids are off with lives of your own, why not celebrate your newfound freedom instead of moping around for missing them so? Now that the kids are grown, think of all the things you’d like to do that were out of your reach before. Check this out…
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Relocate to a Land without Snowy Winters
While you were raising your kids you may have wanted to relocate, but what a chore that might have been. Not only would it be next to impossible to get an entire house loaded onto a moving van but the whole idea of changing schools, finding new jobs, and uprooting everyone’s lives would have been a massive undertaking. Now that the kids are gone and the nest is empty, why not relocate south to some of America’s most upscale cities?
San Diego, for example, has some neighborhoods with the most expensive real estate in the country, but you can still benefit from the area by choosing the right rentals. You can find San Diego luxury apartments with amazing views of the ocean in a hip location within the city’s Little Italy. Imagine being in a place where you can find endless things to do day and night but with the serenity of seaside life? That should keep you busy for a while!
Speaking of Staying Busy
This is something else new to an empty nester. For years and years, your every moment was taken up with the concerns of someone else. As a good parent, your every thought was for the welfare of your spouse and children. Now that the kids are gone you’ve got time on your hands but nothing to do. Why not join a few clubs, take up some new hobbies, and just get out there doing something for yourself! It’s about time you thought of something you’d like to do and now that you have time to do it, why not? So many parents are depressed when the kids are gone so if you stay busy, there’s no time to mope around.
It’s Okay to Finally Think of Yourselves
One of the things you don’t want to be is that mom or dad who is constantly all up in your adult children’s lives. They don’t appreciate it and will come to resent you if you don’t let go. Actually, this is often a defense mechanism because you’ve spent so many years feeling guilty when doing something for yourself. Mom and Dad, it’s okay to think of yourselves now; really it is. Don’t you think you’ve earned the right to do things you’ve always wanted to do but had few resources available? Live it up a little because you are now in some of the best years of your life.
Oddly, being an empty nester can be one of the most difficult periods of your life during the transition. However, once you become adjusted to having time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do, you will see just how liberating it can be. Get out there and live it up. You’ve earned it, now go enjoy.
