Preparing for Empty Nesting By Julianna Steen
Y ou’ve done your part: You’ve wiped the dirty diapers, listened to the middle school drama, held your baby’s hair as they threw up yet again from the stomach bug. You’ve poured your blood, sweat, tears, and oh so much money into your little baby, cheering them on at all their extracurriculars and helping them to grow into a person you’re proud to post about on Facebook. (Although you like to remind them you’re proud no matter their achievements.) But now that fateful, wonderful, feared day has come and gone: high school graduation. As you assist in packing your kid for college, you may begin to wonder what life after kids in the house is like. Yes, college is exciting for them, but leaving you in that quiet, empty house doesn’t sound so exciting for you. But empty nesting shouldn’t be something to dread! Yes, you will miss having a loud, full house, and you might even miss the 17 pairs of shoes left by the door and the extra loads of laundry you no longer need to do. Nonetheless, you should enter this new season with excitement and anticipation. Here are some practical tips for how to prepare for empty nesting and ways to enjoy the new freedoms found in this season.
to your schedule as well. If you have aging parents, you may discover that this newfound time and flexibility enables you to devote more time to them as well. PLAN A VACATION This might be our favorite suggestion, because who doesn’t love a good vacay?! Now that you’re not tied down to a school schedule (for the first time in, ahem, 12- plus years), you are free to travel anytime in the fall or spring. It doesn’t have to be fancy or two weeks long—though, it can be…Europe, anyone?—even a long weekend at the beach will do the trick. The key is to give you something to look forward to that gets you out of the house and puts you in your happy place, helping you dislodge yourself from the emotional rut you might occasionally find yourself in. Plus, this is a great opportunity to rekindle your relationship with your spouse and remind yourselves why you married in the first place, before kids came into the picture.
FIND A PURPOSE Let’s not sugarcoat it: No matter how independent your child was before leaving for college, you did a lot for them, which means you’re about to have a whole lot more time on your hands. Nature Medicine’s 2023 study, spanning over 93,000 people ages 65 and older across 16 countries, suggests that there are physical and emotional benefits to having a hobby. Those with hobbies showed fewer symptoms of depression and a higher life satisfaction than those without. The hobby itself doesn’t matter: painting, sewing, gardening, running, volunteering, coloring, woodworking, cooking, pickleball, hiking… The list is endless. And if by “hobby” you hear, “find a new project,” like fixing up the back patio like you’ve always wanted but never made the time for... I won’t dissuade you. Start by taking five minutes to jot down activities that bring you joy or skills you wish you had. Next, research items on that list and see if a local studio or nearby shop has the necessary supplies and/ or offers how-to classes. If you chose to stay at home when your kids were in school, consider getting a part-time job doing something you enjoy to add
MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF When was the last time you really, truly devoted time and energy to your
18 JUNE 2025 | NOLAFAMILY.COM
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