ralper

When the kids leave home.

Twenty-nine years ago we had our first son. Six years later our second son was born. Until about six months ago there was always one son home with us. Even when the youngest left for college our older son moved back in and lived in our basement. Even though he more or less had his own apartment in the basement and came and went as he pleased, we could still feel his presence. Without seeing him, we always knew that he was here with us.

We’ve always been a close family. Adam, our youngest, was my sidekick. Andrew and I debated everything from politics to economics to baseball. A heated argument at the dinner table was why my Mets were a better team than his Yankees, and why his Giants were a better team than my Jets. We rarely agreed on anything, but that’s what made it so much fun and interesting.

When Andrew left for Rutgers Adam was still home and when Adam left for Virginia Tech Andrew came home from Rutgers. One of them was always here.

Liz was the perfect tiger mom. Watching over the kids, making sure the school work got done and just seeing to it that they were on top of everything. Like I said, we were a very close family.

Now the kids are gone. Andrew lives in Reno, Nevada, and Adam in Dublin, Ohio. The house is empty. Even though both Liz and I know that this is the natural order of things and that we have to let the two of them grow into their own lives, we are very lonely for them.

The house is very quiet. Now a phone call or a text message is a big thing. Much more important then they used to be.

Adam is coming home for a visit for a few days this week. Andrew is coming home for a few days later in July. We’re really looking forward to it.

I remember when I was in my mid-twenties and took my own apartment. My mother told me my father was very sad. My father and I were very close. I, of course, told my mother that it’s the natural order of things and I have to grow up sometime. Now I understand why my father was sad.

I knew we’d miss them, but I never realized how much we’d miss them. It’s tough when the kids leave home.

Kyras

I feel your pain. I felt so sad and empty when Christa moved out at 18. Kyle moved out 2 years later but by then a divorce was in the works so life was chaos. I'm so glad to be living within an hour of them both, now, in Colorado. It's good for my soul. It's been 13 years since Christa moved out.

Birdybog

S2KRAY

Our kids and grandkids live in our small state. In fact, they will all be coming to the beach this week. We are lucky to have them so close. I saw a bumper sticker that said, Happy Retirement is when the kids move out and the dog dies.

boltonblue

we have had a few brief windows of empty nest syndrome. none of them have lasted very long.
we re-entered again last week really hope this one sticks, but not holding my breath.

Lainey

I honestly enjoyed the empty nest. It's not a bad thing to have time as a couple. I'm having a harder time with the fact that I'm not as involved with the grandchildren. Ally has her license a job and a boyfriend. Ryan just spent time with us on vacation but he's not often interested in hanging out here. The circle of life I guess. Sometimes it goes way too fast

cosmomiller

We have too. Maybe lasted a second or two.

dlq04

Same here. Especially after my son, who had moved back, bought a house!

Morris

I am the only one of four children that never returned to live with parents after moving out. Proud of that.
No kids here, so empty nest has been the way of life for the last 47 years.

Conedodger

Never had kids, but we are close to our nieces and nephew. One is out of college and on her own. The others are mid-way through college. We don't see or hear from them nearly as much as we used to. We feel the void...can only imagine what their parents feel.