Starting college

all the best mu support to u.

That's great. I hope that she will enjoy it. I know my parents got the empty nest syndrome when I got married and moved out and my sister was still at home. It got so bad that I had to politely tell my mom to quit just "dropping by" as she would almost always show up once a day. She not only "dropped by", but would call my cell phone and home phone all the time. It has basically quit since we aren't on the greatest of terms. tell Kristen that I hope she enjoys it.

You have done your job and they are not probably capable of taking care of themselves. At least we would know if they had their own places. You have time for you now, any hobbies that you let go for a time, new books to read, more hours to work, traveling with hubbie with no need of a babysitter. All good things. And before you know it you will be grandma. Take care and enjoy each stage of life as it unfolds.

I can completely understand the empty nest syndrome. When my children became adults, I thought they wouldn't need me anymore, but its not true, as my younger daughter regularly calls me and e-mails me for advice. She is now attending college and asks me to look over the requirements, so she can graduate on time with a little room for fun classes. Best wishes for Kristen in college.

I felt that way when my daughter graduated from High School and she lived at home and I felt that she didn't need me any more and had to let her grow up and learn things on her own, so just recently back in January 6th she got married so her and her new hubby lived here for awhile and in June 1st they moved out oh did I cried and cried and top of it all I am going to be a grandmother in Oct (it's due in Oct 5th) It's a boy so they said and I have seen the ultrasounds ohI am going to spoil him rotten LOL. She graduated in 2003 and still in college and she says she is going to have to take a year off and go back in a year or two to finish.I was so sad and now I am watching a little girl who is 1 1/2 years old to keep me company.

Hi carpenter5! :) Reading your discussion made me understand what my Mom had been feeling lately. I just used to tease her and smile at her whenever she starts to say that she's been "forgotten". She says that us, me and my 2 bros, no longer spend that much time talking with her and just go home to sleep and eat. (",) Usually, I tease her about that and just laugh. She'll smile and laugh, too. Now, I understand. She felt the same as you do. [Our youngest right now is in his last year in college and next year, he'll be graduating.] Mom's children are growing up! *hehe* Maybe, it's time to accept that we are no longer kids and just be proud and happy that we have been mature and grow up and now know how to deal with life. And all of this, we owe it all to YOU - our mom (and of course, to our dad.) Take care and God bless you and your family! =)

Mothers have a strong desire to "mother". When the kids act as though they no longer need us (even though they always will) It hurts and we want to always be needed. The main thing is to feel needed. They will still ask advice from time to time and that feels so good when they do. For a while we feel needed again but that soon fades. It is hard when they grow up. Really hard. Once a mother always a mother.

Oh they are going to need you. Yur job isn't even close to being done, LOL. Of course you know that. But seriously, as a person who has been in your daughter's place, I needed my parents, especially my mom during my early college years. She was a great sounding board, and she didn't even have to say much. Just knowing she was there, and being welcomed with open arms meant the world to me.