Parents are on the countdown to their children leaving for college. Covid has added a new layer of vulnerability to hugging your child goodbye for college. Even though you have known they are leaving sometime, the closer it gets the more anxious some parents feel. Who wouldn’t when you love them and just don’t know how life will be without hearing or seeing them as you did at home. I remember my excitement of her going off to college and then that silence at home until Thanksgiving. Not really a transition, more like instant change. I had the softest Kleenex in every room.
Parents have been sharing with me that vulnerability is showing itself in lack of sleep, overeating, asking their children too many questions, hovering in their bedroom, being repetitive, and that is not how they want to be. Can you relate? They have no idea what they want to do for themselves or how to start exploring who they are now beyond the parenting role that changed. This is a major milestone. Parts of you can handle these changes and other parts have had too handle too much and just can’t stand this much uncertainty and feelings of NOW WHAT and OH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.
Zoom groups have been great for everyone to feel support of emptying the nest. I much prefer, as do you, to be together face to face and am holding the hope that will happen.
If you are interested in ZOOM for now, please call or email. No one wants to go through this major change alone.
818-621-4116 (PACIFIC TIME)
I do keep the groups small for everyone to have time to share and ask questions.
Call or email with you questions about the groups and your thoughts.
Take good care,
Natalie
Natalie Caine, M.A. natalie@lifeintransition.org
I’m having a tough time because I had my kids home during COVID and three out of four are l moving out at once. One to go to the other side of the country for a new job, one off to Law School, one married, one wanted to get his own apartment. I’m in a new house so I have no friends around here. We moved to be closer to my daughter because she has a baby. I’m crumbling
How are you doing this year, Mary?