expect your nest to feel different when empty

Happy Home Life Tip #17

When your child leaves the nest you might feel excited and hopeful, (like my husband did), or you might find yourself feeling a bit:

Sad…because your child grew up so fast

Lonely…because your child was your companion and entertainment

Worried…because your child will be making decisions without you

Without Purpose…because raising your child was your purpose (how I felt) 

Embarrassed…because you feel you didn’t teach your child enough life skills

or

Guilty…because you feel relieved of your Mom duties

Those are all things I’ve heard from empty-nesters, and all perfectly normal!

But one thing’s for sure, your nest will never feel exactly the same.  

So what comes next?

If you’re having unsettling, unwanted feelings about this change in your life, it’s always helpful to “process” those emotions first, before moving on.

After you’ve processed those emotions, you might start feeling excited to:

Create a deeper relationship with your partner

Develop some new home life routines and traditions

Work on one of your long-desired goals

or

Discover a new hobby or passion

For me, the “empty” feeling happened fast.  

Each of our sons went far away to university…one even overseas! 

Two married young, and all took jobs far away. 

My husband and I had to create a “new normal” without our kids being able to stop by each week, or even come home for holidays.

I worked several more years in hospitality along side my husband, searched for our dream-property to restore, travelled to visit our sons, and trained for a new career as a life coach.

For my dear friend with similar age kids, this empty-nest (not-needed-as-much) feeling came a good 10 years later, when her kids moved further away and started creating families of their own. 

She recently told me she now knows how I must have felt.

Last June (2021), Chris and I finally retired from hospitality, bought that dream property (it’s right down the road from one married son!), and made Let’s Bloom Coaching my full-time focus.

This can be a wonderful time of your life!

Having been through it myself and coached other empty-nesters, I also know it can seem a bit weird.

So, if you’d like some support learning how to process unwanted emotions that may pop up, create a deeper connection with your partner, or take action on reaching a long-desired goal, I’m here for you.

You’ve supported the family for so long Mom, you deserve some support too.

It’s your time to bloom.

Hugs,

Krista 

Photo:  I found this empty nest in our lilac bush.  I wonder who was raised there!