Parenting is difficult, but it’s equally hard to be an empty nester, a time when baby birds become eagles, fly, and build their own nest somewhere – far away from you. It removes happy noises and leaves vacant chairs during dinners and holidays. It makes every phone call less practical and more emotional. It usually forces you to hope they’ve never grown.
Unfortunately, the loneliness is just one of the many things empty nesters have to deal with. Empty nest syndrome comes with other potential problems:
Downsizing
Downsizing helps you avoid the feeling of having too much space to fill in with people. Moreover, you can move closer to your children or experience a new environment.
But this is easier said than done. For one, it can be difficult to sell a home laden with memories.
The best way to get to it is to sell your home as quickly as possible. Look for reputable companies that advertise “we buy houses fast for cash.” These people invest in almost any type of home and give you the money you need to start over ASAP.
Workforce
It’s not uncommon for parents, especially moms, to go back to work after they’re done with child rearing. It keeps them occupied, gives them something to manage, and surrounds them with new and, hopefully, fun people.
However, while the desire is there, the jobs aren’t. Older people struggle looking for work for a lot of reasons: preference for younger applicants, technical skills, company culture, and overall hireability.
If this happens to you, don’t blame yourself. Instead, consider other options: look for other types of work, open a business, or pursue a completely new and different interest.
Retirement
Many parents become too busy meeting the family’s needs for years they forget about retirement. Later, they find themselves old, out of work, and with hardly enough savings.
There’s no better time to think about retirement than today. The sooner you plan for it, the less worry you’ll have within the next 10 to 20 years. Work closely with your financial planner to ensure these savings don’t hurt your budget.
Empty nest syndrome is real, and sadly, you cannot run away from it. But you can cope, beginning with dealing with these three potential issues.