The View From Here – Checking In On Parents

Hey parents.  I’m just checking on you.  How are you holding up?  Three weeks into a new school year.  Settling into a routine that works.  Bedtimes, lunches, activities.  Busyness.   How are you holding up?

To the parents of kids who have left home this year for the very first time.  How are YOU?  Do you need anything?  Have you had a good cry yet?  How are you dealing with the quiet?

It’s strange isn’t it?  When your kids leave home.  It’s the silence.  It’s the feeling of emptiness in the house.  It’s questioning your role and your purpose now in this next chapter of life.  It’s missing being needed for all the every day things.

I made egg salad this weekend and I even missed my youngest daughter coming into the kitchen to complain about how much it stinks – ha ha ha. Or making a favourite food you know they love and then the sudden realization they aren’t there to share it.

It’s hard.  Trying to find your footing again.  Trying to settle into a new routine without that child in the house.  It’s strange.  Nobody can really prepare you for the gravity of the change or the emotional roller coaster it takes you on.

I listened to this podcast on my walk this morning and it was the perfect description of what we are dealing with.  Both from a parent and child perspective.

When your kids leave home it IS a significant milestone.  It IS a significant change.

And how we work through it matters.  Mel Robbins offers some advice to parents and students as we work through this stage in life.

Remember – it’s going to take time to adjust.

If your life feels empty, find ways to fill it up.

It’s time to focus on you.  Fill your life up.  Do things that help you learn and grow.

Build friendships.  Take a class.

Put yourself on the list.

I’ve been struggling with this latest chapter in my life and I know I’m not alone.  So I share this podcast with you in hopes in helps you too.

It’s time to spread YOUR wings.

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan