Every parent will have a different experience of empty nest syndrome. It may only last a few weeks for some, while it may persist for years for others. Typically, parents will experience the symptoms of empty nest syndrome for a few months. 'A few months' may be anything from two months to a whole year.
Similarly to anyone experiencing redundancy, the mother may feel worthless, disoriented and unsure of what meaning her future may hold. However, most mothers adapt in time. Psychologists suggest that it may take between 18 months and two years to make the successful transition from 'mum' to independent woman.
Empty Nest Syndrome Symptoms
Sadness: Feeling down, hurting emotionally, and possibly crying more often. Grief: Experiencing a deep sense of loss, and a yearning for things to return to the way they used to be—missing the child who has left and the daily experiences involved in having the family together.
You have never been in this stage of parenting before, so it's normal to feel empty and uncertain. The key is to acknowledge those feelings and allow yourself to experience them without remaining there indefinitely. Eventually, the sadness will go away as you adjust to your new reality.
In general, empty-nest syndrome is a process with three distinct stages: grief, relief, then joy, says social psychologist Carin Rubenstein, author of “Beyond the Mommy Years: How to Live Happily Ever After . . .
Empty nest syndrome involves feelings of sadness, depression, loneliness, and grief endured by parents and caregivers after their kids leave home and begin taking care of themselves. It is a psychological condition (not a clinical condition or illness) that affects both parents.
The empty-nest syndrome is a psychological condition that affects both parents, who experience feelings of grief, loss, fear, inability, difficulty in adjusting roles, and change of parental relationships, when children leave the parental home.
Taking a trip together can be a great way to reconnect. Talk about the good parts of your relationship and calmly discuss any areas that need work. Try to let go of past disappointments and forgive one another. Commit to each other to work toward making your marriage the very best it can be now.
Full-time parents (stay-at-home mothers or fathers) may be especially vulnerable to empty nest syndrome. Adults who are also dealing with other stressful life events such as the death of a spouse, moving away or retirement are also more likely to experience the syndrome.
Coping with empty nest syndrome means letting go and letting your child grow into an independent adult. Of course, you should certainly check in on your child's well-being. But give your child some privacy—and the space to make a few mistakes. It's healthier for both of you.
Knowing how to say goodbye, and dealing with the sense of loss that can follow, is part of being a parent. The pain of separation can go far beyond simply missing your son or daughter after they're gone. Some parents feel a very real sense of grief and loss; a lack of purpose or control.
The other parent may just feel lonely because the children aren't home. Concern about the children. It's natural to be concerned about your children's education, career, and social life. Too much anxiety and worry can prevent a parent from focusing on his/her spouse and can lead to empty nest syndrome and divorce.
The time after becoming empty-nesters are psychologically happy as there is no stress and responsibility of a child to look after and parents can introspect.
Parents and caregivers in the United States are usually between 40 and 60 years old when they begin empty nesting. Life events and stages, such as second marriages, late childbearing, or being grandparent caregivers, can affect when the syndrome starts.
If left untreated, empty nest syndrome can lead to major clinical complications in the form of anxiety, stress, depression, cognitive issues, problems in focus, concentration, hopelessness 'n' helplessness, and so on.
We've all heard of empty nest syndrome that some parents experience when their children grow up and leave home. But in many cases, “cluttered nest” syndrome would be a more exact description, because the children leave home but often their stuff does not. The process is usually a gradual one.
It's OK to feel sad. You've spent precious time and energy on looking after your child. You may well have mixed feelings even though growing up is normal. In the midst of sadness, you can still be proud of yourself that you have helped your child reach this point.
And it's this feeling of grief when a child moves out that is known as 'Empty Nest Syndrome'. In our survey of 1,000 parents of first-year students, a startling 98% of parents said that they had felt 'extreme grief' after their child had gone to university for the first time in 2021.
Empty Nest: Launching Adult Children. The stage of launching adult children begins when your first child leaves home and ends with the "empty nest." When older children leave home, there are both positive and negative consequences.