Parenting, is one of the greatest responsibilities a person can ever have. The role of a parent is to provide unconditional love and guidance. The saddest and most beautiful thing about parenting is, we have to let go of our children, so they become the individuals they choose to be. As parents, we often struggle when our children leave home and go away to college . After dropping my youngest off to college, I tried to hold back the tears, however, as I was driving the flood gate of tears came. It felt especially difficult because he is the youngest and everyone kept saying you are about to become an empty nester. For a minute I felt like I had lost something and every time I came home from work for the first few weeks, I could just hear the quiet echo of my house. I started to notice everything around me and decided it was time for me to figure out what to do next.
Once your child goes to college you don’t become empty, you become hopeful for all the dreams and aspirations that your child has for the future. You are also faced with lots of new choices; the level of support to provide , how much contact is enough, how many times you should visit him/her on campus and how much financial support you are wiling to provide. Carefully explore all of the choices about support with your student and make a decision on what is comfortable for you both. Some parents are making huge sacrifices for their child and some barely make any sacrifices. Whatever you decide, remember the end goal is to be encouraging and supportive in the decisions you make.
A turning point is realizing that you are not empty, you are just waiting to be fulfilled. So here a few things you can do:
1. Get involved in a local civic organization,
2. Travel and explore new places in your community,
3. Read without being interrupted,
4. Hang out with friends more,
5. Volunteer- Spend time giving back
6. Work on new projects without feeling guilty,
7. Spend more time at the gym,
8. Try a new cuisine that your kid won't gripe about,
9. Meditate and get centered, remember balance is important,
10. Remember new opportunities are everywhere .