<p>Waiting up for him when he’s out late at night to make sure he gets home safely. </p>
<p>I do find it more stressful to worry about my kids are at home and when I know they’re out for the evening and will they be safe? When they’re at school, I don’t know what they’re doing at a particular point in time, so my worrying can be more global and diffuse, and less stressful. </p>
<p>I will not miss endless negotiations about using the car and staying out late. Also looking forward to fewer complaints from our 8th grader because his life is so boring compared to his brother!</p>
<p>No more bottles of her special water (flavored carbonated water) all over the house. They come in liter bottles, she only likes one store’s brand of it, and she drinks most of it and leaves the rest whereever she happens to be sitting. </p>
<p>We can leave our bedroom door open - we have a cape and there are only two windows on the second floor facing north and south, and one of them is in our bedroom, and the other is in hers. No air flow with the doors closed, but with the doors opened, beautiful air flow!</p>
<p>Less chauffeuring. </p>
<p>Looks like many of us are in agreement in what we’ll miss and look forward to! I’ll look forward to smaller water and grocery bills. I’ll also miss loud music blaring from the basement when I’m trying to sleep at midnite. One is practically out now…going into senior year of college, moved into a 3 family home, 4 bedrooms on each floor, 12 guys altogether…youngest begins college in a few weeks…taking vacations during the school year is a biggie. Will be doing that one as often as possible! Time goes by so quickly, though. I will miss them. But they are ALWAYS welcome home anytime they need it and they know that too. But we also raise them to be independent and make their own choices, mistakes and decisions. S#2 always separates the laundry into piles for me and loads the dryer and then into laundry basket…not a big deal, but it’s helpful! S#1 has been learning to cook more meals for himself…can’t wait to have him cook for H & me one of these days…realtionship seems to get better with a bit of distance between us as they get older & grow up a bit.</p>
<p>My daughter loves to cook and bake, which is wonderful, but my kitchen is a mess all. the. time. She thinks she cleans up, but our standards appear to be different! And the grocery bills will be lower. </p>
<p>I haven’t had to chauffeur anyone around for years. I also worry less when they’re away because I can’t sleep til they’re home. Even though I know they’ll be out gallivanting around at school for some reason I don’t worry so much–sometimes it’s better not to know. And they will be driving less (one without a car–yay) and that also makes me feel better. </p>
<p>The smell of… stable… from my son’s practice and team gear. I will not miss that. His poor roomie. Poor, poor roomie. </p>
<p>
This. Mine are back home; I am getting better at labeling and hiding ingredients! And leftovers and takeout doggie bags intended for work lunches; they eat those, too. </p>
<p>jaylynn, that comment about stable smell made me laugh, because my younger d has been taking figure skating lessons at a hockey-oriented arena this summer, and it seriously has made me so grateful I have girls!! It is really an overwhelming experience there :)</p>
<p>MiamiDAP- your sentences sound as if you are an immigrant, and a very rich, used to servants one at that. Most Americans, even rich working physician couples, usually do most of the tasks you never do. You live in a different world!</p>
<p>I also worried when messy college son shared his first apartment with 4 other guys. I shouldn’t have. Some moved in a few days sooner (wise to stagger move in). I noticed a large bunch of bananas on the counter when we moved our son in (not surprising because our local grocery store also had them on sale that week). About a week later we made another trip to bring some stuff and visit- those bananas were blackening on the counter. </p>
<p>After a few years, and especially when they have a 12 months place they can be, you get used to just being the two of you again. Habits change and you begin to remember life before kid(s)- but now older you don’t lead the same lifestyle! Been there done that???</p>
<p>Lower grocery bills, my dd2 has a card to my cc account, and I swear she shops all the time.
No more, “what’s for dinner?” Even though there is either leftovers or food they can prepare. </p>
<p>A lot less laundry!</p>
<p>Being able to get my car down the driveway without running an obstacle course of girl cars and spray paint projects. </p>
<p>One of two picky, plain eaters in the house will be gone. The other one is here until death do us part. Oh, well. </p>
<p>^ about the picky eater. I’m looking forward to ordering pizza with everything on it again and no more almond milk in my fridge!</p>
<p>Now D1 is back, living at home while working nearby. Five years forward, five years back. Right now I even drive her in and pick her up, back to cooking and the dishwasher thing. During the college years, I loved that when I cleaned, it stayed clean here for days on end- as if clean had its own magic momentum. Fortunately, D1 has a bf who visits and she does a mean job of cleaning for that.</p>
<p>A much smaller food bill because my daughter is a vegan and buying her food can be expensive. Also, since I always cook, cooking different meals (at least the protein part) can stop. I suppose we will go back to vacationing during off peak times. Disney World (which we love even as adults) is so much better when masses of kids aren’t there. I say I will enjoy that I won’t have to run her around but that is a double edged sword. She was a varsity volleyball player in the fall and a club player in the spring. I am going to miss the games, the camaraderie of the other parents, the excitement, the highs and the lows of intense sports. That had been my life since she was 12 (the club part anyway), so I will miss it.</p>
<p>I have S1 back home too for the forseeable future. He and S2, who leaves August 20, share a finished attic bedroom and S1 has a lot of plans for rearranging and fixing up after S2 leaves. But he’s working at a job at least related to his major, with room for advancement and it pays well by West Virginia entry-level standards, so I’m definitely not complaining. </p>
<p>Oh my…the list is long. First we replace his nasty chair with a beautiful new one. He complained that “he lost his best friend”
He is the messiest because he has the most activities, jobs and sports.
I won’t have to run the dishwasher every day or do as much laundry
I prepare his meals because I got so used to him being busy busy busy. </p>
<p>Sleeping in… I always got up with him before school. </p>
<ol>
<li>Not having to cook gluten-free.</li>
<li>Not having to do 2 loads of dishes in the dishwasher everyday.</li>
<li>Not having to go 5 times a week to the grocery store.</li>
<li>Having a clean house :)</li>
</ol>
<p>The long hair in the drain, the sink, and on the glass shower doors. Bobby pins EVERYWHERE (my daughter is a dancer). Apple cores and wrappers from granola bars on the kitchen counter directly above the garbage. Balled-up, sweaty socks and t-shirts strewn across the living room (that would be my son). The house lit up like a roman candle when I get home and in the morning when I wake up. Being command central because people are too lazy to find information or take care of simple tasks themselves (“what time do I have rehearsal again?” “can you make an appointment for a haircut for me?”).</p>
<p>Of course if you asked what I would miss, the list would be far longer. :)</p>