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Tips for New Empty Nesters

I found a marvelous collection of articles for parents that are sending their children off to college and becoming empty nesters. Check these out and let me know what you think!

 Tips for First-Years

This article has some tips on how to stay in touch with your child. What I loved even more, though, was this list: 

3 Simple Steps for Academic Success

Go to class.
Do all of the homework and reading.
Get extra help if you're having trouble understanding the subject matter. Don't wait until midterms or the final exam to try to get help.

First Year in Five Stages

This describes the five stages of peaks and valleys that kids experience during their first year of college.

Stage 1: The Honeymoon
Stage 2: Culture Shock
Stage 3: Initial Adjustment
Stage 4: Homesickness or Loss of Confidence
Stage 5: Acceptance and Integration

 Sending Your Kid Away to College

 I love the part of this article, where they talk about the "stress dump." The author says children will call out of the blue to unload on their parents about college problems. "Kids will often call their parents and do what we call the ‘stress dump’ to unload their frustrations." It's uncomfortable to be dumped on, sure, but knowing it's normal and expected can help. 

If you are facing the Empty Nest - hang in there! It WILL get better!
If you are Empty Nesters already, what has it been like so far? Are you adjusting?