Do you remember the first time you broke the news to your mother and father that you would be leaving town, well actually the country, for a place far away that no-one could find on a map nor pronounce if they actually did find it? Not only that, but you were taking their grandchildren with [...]
Archive for the ‘Empty Nesting’ Category
So Mum, I have some news…
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 16, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Half empty nest and siblings left behind
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Whilst we are dealing with our own emotions we may overlook the siblings who were also left behind and their emotional response. Siblings often have mixed feelings when older (or sometimes younger but not often) siblings go to school or college or leave home for good. Whether their relationship is loving or they are constantly [...]
When you are the leaver
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
This experience is a well-known yet infrequently spoken about part of the empty nest process. Each and every one of us had at least one person – mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece nephew or any family member – that we left behind creating a huge hole in our heart and another in theirs. Being [...]
Expat empty nesters – same or different?
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Almost every parent experiences their children eventually flying the coop, but is the expat empty nest experience any different? Of course there are many similaraties, yet I also feel there are a few differences that can make this a more difficult time for us. Whilst I don’t want to play ‘my pain is bigger than [...]
More on kids going away to school
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
I enjoyed people’s comments last week about how to handle talking to kids about going away to school – and about actually being sent away. It made me realize (as if I didn’t know, my first degree being in Early Childhood Development) that I probably could have written a years worth of blogs on this [...]
Having an empty nest plan
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 10, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Theresa home-schooled her children and her life was centered around them during their high-school years. When they left home, it must have been a double loss in some ways as she lost one of her ‘jobs’ as well as her children. I love it when people share their personal experiences with me and whilst Theresa [...]
How parents cope with kids going away to school
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 9, 2010 | 1 Comment »
One of the most painful things a parent does in life is say good-bye to their children. Whether they are going away for a week, a month, a year or moving away for good. In many countries, children move away from their family’s home of origin at some point, yet expat parents know in their [...]
Helping kids make the nest leap
Posted in Empty Nesting, tagged boarding school, expat kids, expat kids fears on July 8, 2010 | 1 Comment »
When children of any age (aren’t kids, kids till they are 30 these days?) face what appears to be an enormous step for them, like going to another city, state or country to school, expect the unexpected – and never to be surprised by what your child comes out with. What you do as a [...]
Children’s responses to going away to school
Posted in Empty Nesting on July 7, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Making the decision to send or allow your child to go to school in another city, state or country is difficult for every parent – and for every child. Sometimes the school they choose is simply the best in that particular discipline , or it is in the child’s hometown or location where they grew [...]
Empty Nesting
Posted in Empty Nesting, tagged Empty Nesting on July 6, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
It is very likely that most of you (and me) left home of your own choice sometime in your late teens or early twenties. It may also be likely that no matter how much your parents loved you, they were more than happy to see you go. As expats, we may leave the nest for [...]
