An ‘Empty nest syndrome’ develops in parents when their last child leaves the house to get on with their lives. It is particularly difficult for stay at home moms to deal with. Children sooner or later leave home to go to college or just to be independent and live on their own. This is something that all parents have to deal with but it is very difficult for them to cope with this situation. There are a few things that one can do to help them overcome the empty nest syndrome.

It is normal to feel anxious and feel sad when this happens. There is also a feeling of loss of purpose when the child leaves. All these feelings are natural and one should not get agitated and alarmed. Since most of your time was spent taking care of your child’s every need and now you have a lot of spare time available you should find activities that will help you fill up that space. Taking up a part time job in a daycare or helping out in old aged homes could be an alternative way of dealing with this syndrome. It also helps to find someone to talk to about how you feel. Talk to your spouse and if you still feel the same way then you should consider speaking with counselor or therapist.

There are a few support groups also available and if you are not a person who would like to join permanently then you could consider visiting them once in awhile. These support groups can offer a lot of information and creative ideas on how to go about getting over you current situation. Also people in these groups have gone through or are currently experiencing the same feelings and would be more open to listening to you and would be more sympathetic towards you.

Taking up activities that are not related to children will help you to take your mind off your emptiness. Take up a project like redecorating a room of the house or a creative project like learning a new hobby. This will help you to learn to fill the void and enjoy all the extra time that you have on your hands.