4 of 12

Write now Article Tools

There were times that you probably thought you would be happy when all of the children grew up and moved out. But now that the moment has arrived, you feel a little shaky, your stomach is tied in a knot, and you are holding back the tears that are stinging your eyes. Your baby is leaving, and life as you know it will never be the same.

Oh, you will have a quiet home. Cleaning will be easier. There will be less cooking to do. And you will have an extra room to do with as you please. What will you do with it? Make it an extra bedroom? Make it an office? Make it a den? Leave it as it is so that your child always has a room to come back to? Well, whatever you do, take your time doing it. If you rush in immediately to clean out the room, it will send a message to your child that you could not wait for them to move out. Clean it out just a bit at a time. Once you have packed up all of the things left behind, you can start concentrating on the furniture. If you do not plan to keep it as a bedroom, and you do not plan to keep the furniture, ask your child if they want it before you give it away, sell it, or donate it. This will help to ease this transition for both yourself and your child.

We must realize that although our children look forward to moving out on their own, deep down inside they still experience their own feelings of sadness to leave home. But their excitement of being "grown up" and having their very own place will quickly overcome any regrets they have of moving out. We, on the other hand, are left alone with only the memories of running footsteps and slamming doors. All of the things we used to hate, are the very things we wish we could have back.

The room that is left empty holds all of the childhood memories that we may not be ready to get rid of. Remember when the music was played too loud? Remember all of the "bumps" that almost shook the house because of their roughhousing? Remember the nights you had to sit at the bedside because your baby was so sick? You can still see them laying on the bed doing their homework. You can still remember how many times you had to ask them to clean up their mess. Yes, that room has been a big part of your child's life, and a big part of your life, too.

So, take your time. Make the room whatever you want, but do it when you are fully comfortable with "letting go". As Empty Nesters, we have quite an adjustment to make. But eventually we will also overcome our sadness and find the joy in our new freedom.

Learn more about this author, Sherri Trevino.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How long should empty nesters wait before cleaning out the empty room??
We want to hear your view. Write now!