A sad day is coming. I'm not looking forward to it and then again, I am.
 

My son Nick, who was an only child for 17 years until his little brother was born last September, is leaving home for college. Time flew by too fast. One day, he was learning to walk, then ride a bike, then learn the multiplication table and now he's a man. I think we did a good job raising him. He never really got into too much trouble and has always been pretty responsible. Gonna miss him but I know that living away from mom and dad will be good for him. Good thing campus is only two-and-a-half hours away.

Anyone else suffer from empty nest syndrome? I guess we're lucky that we had little Lucas late in life. Just like starting over.

It hit me pretty hard for a while, maybe a semester or two.

My kids spend two weeks every summer on vacation with my Father...my wife and I always comment just how different the house feels. We are not looking forward to the empty nest in four years.

It is really hard when they leave. What we forgot to "plan" for is all their friends leave to. Our house was one of the homes the kids congregated to- so our house was not emptier by one, but by a dozen. We now only had to buy food once a week. You still have one at home- enjoy them while you can, as they will leave shortly as well. It made me feel bad when I realized I had done the same thing to my parents.
Gary

My son is going into his 3rd year, first semester was hard.
My little girl leaves next friday for her freshman year, I have to admit its going to be harder dropping her off.:(

I was pretty choked up with the first one.
It gets easier as time goes by.

Mine aren't there yet, but I dread the day!

I was talking about it with my son the other day, and I remember when I left home for college. What was striking was the suddenness. You've lived at home literally your entire life, then in ONE DAY, boom, you are gone.

It's weird, I know kids have to grow up and leave, and it's a parent's job to prepare them to do that, but I can't stand thinking about it, even though it is years away.

Since I can't stand thinking about it, of course I do just about every day! Which is ok, because i try to make every day with my kids the best it can be, and spend the most possible time with them that I can.

I raised both of my boys on my own.
Now it's just me and the dog.
I don't think they know how much I enjoy it when they visit.

On the other side of the coin, it is very obvious for me the difference wth my parents when myself or my sisters are there. My older sister lived at home for 2 years after she finished college, but I moved out 2 weeks after I finished.

I can definately tell how much my mom appreciates me coming home; even though my youngest sister 'lives' there (as much as a 20y/o college student actually spends time at home). I know my moving out was harder on her/them, especially since my older sister wore out her welcome.

Frankly, some of my best memories revolve around coming home from college. I was always close to my Mom, but the first few hours after pulling into the driveway for the first time in six months, sitting around the kitchen table with her catching up remain golden, cast in a happiness of spirit that is hard to define.

Being an empty-nester is also a great feeling. My wife and I have much more freedom than when our son was at home. It really is like when you were dating/married before kids. Spontenaity (sp?) is great! After you get past the first year or so, you'll enjoy having the kids home, but you'll also enjoy when they leave. I guarantee it!

My son wasn't supposed to leave until 9/20. Found out last night after I started this thread that sports tryouts start on 8/22 so he is leaving a month early! I thought we had more time with him but he is leaving next week! The sad day is fast approaching.

cool, when are we knocking down walls and putting in the foosball table? out with the old, in with the new...

find a kegarator.

This explains why my in-laws had one every four years for 16 years.

Last one leaving for college was 'replaced' by the first grandkid.

You could turn into one of those parents that coddle their kids, quickly forgive major failures, and make it so easy to stay at home that they never leave...

Never leave? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Legion makes a good point. Not much empty nest feelings happened here. After the teen years of constantly hearing the daughter's words about wanting to be "free", couldn't wait to be on her own, ad nauseum?

Well, when she finally left, she had no idea who really and finally gained some freedom! :D

Paul, I was the same way. My parents divorced 3 years after I graduated college and my dad died three years after that. I haven't had a "home" (in the childhood sense) since then. I have no place to return to if I fail in life.

I spent my teen years as cocky, arrogant, and sure I didn't want to be under my parents collective thumb any more. Well, I got my wishes and its been humbling.

My oldest son is now 20, youngest is 17. We sent both away for high school (out of state parochial boarding school), so maybe the thought of them leaving for good is a little easier for us. Probably different when it really is for good, as when they leave for school you know they will be back for holidays and such.

I left home at 19, two years after my dad died, and have been on my own ever since. I'm just now starting to appreciate how hard that must have been for my mom. And how young I must have looked.

I have a pretty good relationship with my boys. Porsches, believe it or not, have connected us. My youngest help me build my '72 T into the hot rod it is today. Starting when he was about ten. Now we are starting on his '68 912 to 911 conversion. My oldest has a '79 SC; we spend a good deal of time together at the track doing DE's, and together in the garage preparing the cars for them. I have the tools, the time, and the werewithall. As long as they want to keep driving these things, they'll be back. Unless I taught them too well...

The hardest thing is not so much watching the kids leave, they always come back....its re-adjusting to being only with your wife again.

After raising 3 children, the oldest now 32 the youngest now 21 with a 29 yr old in the middle, your life revolves around children. The first one was easy and so was the second one but the baby is the toughest.

Now, my wife and I like our freedom and our dog is kinda slowing us down some, tought to travel with him and the summer months are hard to leave the large garden at home. So in the coming yrs , the dog will not be replaced with another and the garden is getting smaller every yr because before you know it, your old and you can't get around anymore.

Truly golden yrs, hahahaahahahaha....they are really rust not yet solidified.

You know you are getting old when you tell your baby that the 911s is his when he graduates from USNA. And I feel good about it.

Our son lives 5 hours away by air, gets home about twice /year. I hate walking away when he goes through the security gate.

Our daughter moved in with her fiance this summer, wedding in two months.

We raised them to be able to function on their own.

On one hand, it's good to have the house back. On the other, we miss them both.

Les

I have a few years to adjust to the idea. Being a divorced dad with split custody eases you into the whole concept though.

My daughter is 22 and is on partner track with KPMG, just finished taking her last CPA exam. She makes about 1/2 what I make her first year out of school. Living in Hollywood with two friends in a pretty nice house. My son is 19 and is trying CC, we'll see he lives at home. I have the 80 y/o mother in law living with us, which I'm not particularly happy about.

My daughter "goes away" to college on 9/18. She just finished orientation. Lucky on the one hand she's living on campus but in Seattle where her Mom and I are. I'm divorced close to 2 years so like Nostatic it's making the transition a little easier. Hopefully all will go well. She'll handle the academics fine, it's the living with 2 roomates in a room that's smaller than hers at my house I'm worried about. I still have my 16 YO boy at home, starting to get interested in cars and we bought dirt bikes and have been having fun with those.

My GF has a 9 year old and we're headed to marriage or long term committed relationship in some form so the "parenting" role will get extended in a different form.

I just realized how happy I am I have 2 boys.
It must be extra stressful having girls!

Yeah, you only have to worry about two penis', not 2 million.:p

One bit of advice....do NOT call him at college. Let him call you first. Trust me he will call in due time.

Probably easier for you than for mom.

Remember...he will call. Just wait him out. They need qa bit of time to adjust.

Every kid is different. My daughter has been easier overall in her teen years. She's a great student, no partying and thankfully her boyfriend dumped her recently so she goes off to college unshackled. That was the best news in a long time.

My son on the other hand, just got his license, bugs me all the time about getting a street motorcycle, doesn't understand why I have one and he can't, has a girlfriend who's sweet but 1 1/2 years older, thinks he's an Abercrombie model, has no fear and is always pushing the envelope. Of the two of them, he's got a better chance of making me a Grandpa before he's 21. I'd kill him and he knows that. Fear is a good thing!

Along this line, don't be "that parent" that can't leave when he's all set up at school on move-in day.

My son cried for 4 hours yesterday, I can't wait for college.

lol

We moved my daughter Rachel into her dorm today. After helping get everything into the dorm room and arranging the furniture, I left for the office. My wife stayed behind for a few more hours and had lunch with Rachel. Wifey called my on the drive home crying, "she doesn't need us anymore...".

I told her that Rachel will need us, it will just be for bigger, more important things.

Our son, Garrett, is a Junior in HS, so he's still at home. It sure will be quiet around the dinner table though next week...

When I moved each of my two kids into college I wasn't sad at all because I figured they would be back home in no time laying on the couch watching my TV.

It would have been a lot more emotional if I had known that, that was it, they were gone, pursuing their own goals.

We move my son into his college dorm at Miami (Ohio) one week from today. He has always been "Dad's Boy" and less close to my wife so she is worried about my reaction to him being 3 1/2 hours away. I'm more worried about her as I keep finding her sitting on his bed with the tears rolling down her cheeks???

He is a great kid, has accomplished much (#9 in hid HS class of 640, 70+ hours of college credit coming out of HS, etc.) and can't wait to get going. He has always loved school, summers were endured until school started again and this is still true. He is going to be a Chemistry and Econ Major with a Math minor in preparation for Med School, we are so proud of him and look forward to all he will accomplish in the next few years.

It doesn't make it easier when one of your best friends moves away, even for a short time. I know it will never be the same when he returns but we tried to raise him to grow up and be on his own and to make a contribution on his own.

We start packing tomorrow, the next week will be hard.

Ugh, you guys are going to make me cry. I'm starting to feel guilty for leaving.