15
votes
Parent(s) with last kid graduating this year
My son just graduated high school last week. I was immensity proud and the week leading up to it was super busy getting the house ready for visitors, celebration, etc.
This week had been the opposite, while my kid is visiting his college for orientation I can't help but have this "lost" feeling. Not depression or empty nesting but more of "Now I got to figure out what I want to do when I grow up" mindset.
Did you make any life changes? New hobbies? Did you experience something similar?
For me it was a gradual process in which we learned to trust that he was doing well. Like from day care day one in which we wanted to know every hour how they were doing until high school in which we knew that no news were good news.
And slowly you will have more of your attention and your time for other purposes. Maybe some neglected ones or more of the same. You will discover.
Kind of a big deal, I guess.
I'm not there yet, but looking forward to it. But my plan is hobbies and doing things with my wife without interruption. Hobbies will probably include tinkering with computers hardware/software
I always had pets when my kids were growing up, but after they left home I became one of those empty nesters who dotes on their dogs excessively (the cats won't put up with it). My youngest is about to turn 30, and there are things I miss about when they were still at home. Few things are more fun and energetic than a house with teen kids and their friends hanging out. At the same time, I love having their rooms back to decorate as I want, and we're still close, even if we don't see each other as much.
I quite enjoyed the freedom. Then I got remarried and had to do it a second time with my stepkids. The thing is, these days just because they leave doesnt always mean they're not going to boomerang back again. Which one of my stepkids did due to some health issues. When we finally got the house to ourselves I realized I had kids in our home for 35 years and I am good and done with that. There is much more freedom and privacy now. I can do pretty much anything now. More time on hobbies, on writing, on just playing with the dogs, and going on road trips with hardly any preparation. Plus I dont have to wear pants to get coffee in the morning. Its all good.
I’ve had 2 go off to college so far, and their adjustment was rough. In the first and part of the second semester, they were calling home a lot and wanting to visit/have us visit.