Empty Nest Syndrome isn’t a clinical diagnosis. Instead, it is a phenomenon in which parents experience feelings of sadness and loss when the last child leaves home.
Although you might actively encourage your children to become independent, the experience of letting go can be painful. You might find it difficult to suddenly have no children at home who need your care. You might miss being a part of your children’s daily lives — as well as the constant companionship.
You might also worry about your children’s safety and whether they’ll be able to take care of themselves. You might struggle with the transition if your last child leaves the nest a little earlier or later than you expected. If you have only one child or strongly identify with your role as parent, you might have a particularly difficult time adjusting to an empty nest.
Ways to prevent empty nest syndrome include parents planning their routines out and keeping themselves busy once their child goes away, rekindling old relationships that they didn’t have enough time for etc. What you as a child can do, is call up your parents, ease their anxiety and encourage them to pursue different things.
Written by Tanisha Agarwal