<p>Like an above poster it was almost “good riddance”. Once gone (and now post college graduation) I tend to remember the good times, especially when I lack things to do as in the busy days of cooking/cleaning/chauffeuring et al and the huge house is too empty. Communications have improved, with friendly Skype visits as well as in person visiting him as much as his visiting us. Note the change- visiting, not returning home.</p>
<p>We need to look way back at ourselves when we happily left home for college. I certainly gave no thought to my parents. I never asked my mom how she felt then and she died some 30 years ago when I was still in my twenties and being educated so I’ll never know how she felt.</p>
<p>Ages and stages. Scary how life keeps marching on and you can’t stay in the time you enjoy. We all had kids to enjoy them and then need to let them go. For all of you new empty nesters it is important to develop a life without kids. The first years of college you are still pretty much tethered to their comings and goings so they may be physically gone but still an important part of your planning.</p>
<p>I wonder if it is the same parents who most miss their college kids that were the ones who most missed the preschool years. Or is it parents who developed a rapport with the more adult child? I was the parent who looked forward to being able to talk at an intellectual level with my kid (none of the preschool stuff) but he turned into the teen who ignored me, sigh. Made it easier to send him off to college. Independent since that first day of preschool. 'Nuff musings- still have a house to clean, even if far less often.</p>