Sending a child off to college is a milestone in any parent’s life. Seeing them work hard in their academic and extracurricular pursuits and begin their first steps toward taking on the world is something to be proud of.
However, alongside these feelings of joy and pride, a mixture of other emotions can also arise which can feel difficult to contend with. As the prospect of an ‘empty nest’ at home dawns, so too can feelings of sadness, loss, and even apprehension as the familiar home life and comfort of having your child around will no longer be there.
To help you come to terms with this adjustment, this article has outlined some tips to make letting go a little easier, allowing you to navigate this significant life transition more smoothly.
Accept Your Feelings
Allow yourself the opportunity to accept and process any feelings of sadness or grief you may be experiencing as your child goes off to college. Acceptance of how you feel is the first step toward moving through these challenging states and enables you to come to a place of greater emotional stability and peace.
You may wish to express your feelings to your partner, confide in a close friend, or create a journal. However you choose to express yourself, the sooner you are able to acknowledge and accept your feelings as normal and natural, the sooner you will begin feeling like yourself again.
Embrace Your New Role
An empty nest can also be an opportunity to rediscover and pursue your passions, aspirations, and hobbies. With fewer parental duties to tend to, you can begin making more time for yourself, whether it be taking up that dance class, starting a cooking course, or traveling with friends. By shifting your focus onto areas that will nourish and fulfill your life, you can turn this period of your life into a hugely rewarding one in terms of personal growth, reinvention, and fun.
Get Creative
To boost your spirits and channel any low feelings into a more positive direction, consider getting creative by preparing a package for your child. To help them settle in and feel a warm hug from home, why not send your child a surprise care package with some homemade cookies, thoughtful gifts such as a cozy blanket or scented candle to help them personalize their new living space or a tassel necklace which gives a subtle nod to their future college graduation attire?
Keep in Touch
No matter how near or far your child may be, remember that they are only a phone call away. This is never more true than in today’s interconnected world where technology allows you to instantly connect and even see your child on the other end of a screen.
While going off to college can be busy and exciting for your child, they will likely also have their moments of feeling homesick or wishing they had their creature comforts from back home. A friendly phone call, reminding them you are thinking of them and keen to hear how they are getting on may be just the thing they need.
By putting these tips into practice, you can help to make this time one in which you grow as a person while continuing to foster the love and connection you have with your child.