Empty Nest Season
It’s Fall; that time of year when the weather starts to cool down and the kids are back in school. Hopefully your household has the back-to-school routine down pat by now. But if you waved your kids off to college, instead of elementary or high school, your life probably feels much different now. It can be an anxious time for parents, and we have a few tips to help you look on the brighter side of your new normal:
1. Keep busy: Find a new hobby or get back into things you loved to do before your children came along. Your time is your own now and you should spend it the way you want to. Date nights, trivia nights, and girls’ weekends are much easier to do when you don’t have kids in the house.
2. Clean your house: This is the time to get a top-to-bottom clean on your house that will stay that way. Clean your kid’s old room the way that you’ve wanted to for years. While you have the time, rent a carpet cleaner from BISSELL. (If you aren’t sure how to clean carpet, we have an easy guide
here.) Get the ground-in dirt and carpet stains that have been hidden under furniture or piles of clothes. And be happy knowing that their room is going to stay clean this time!
3. Get a good night’s sleep: No matter how old the kids are, you never sleep as well as you did before you had them. Without the worry of late-night phone calls or curfew, you can try for some solid uninterrupted rest.
4. Laundry will be much easier: No more dirty socks in the living room or last-minute panics because their FAVORITE shirt isn’t clean and they need it RIGHT NOW. Towels will stay clean until you use them and won’t be dropped on the floor of the bathroom. You will have fewer loads of laundry – it’s going to be great!
5. Think about adopting a dog or cat: Find a new normal with a pet to spend time with at the end of the day. Both dogs and cats need exercise and play, and someone to take care of them. Maybe you will be ready to adopt a new family member when the time is right.
At the end of the day, there are many reasons to appreciate being an empty nester. One of the things we appreciate most is our young adults when they come back home. Let yourself enjoy who they are becoming as adults!