When our kids first leave our nests, it can be really emotional. We have spent so much time of our own lives raising and taking care of these kids. All of the things that we did for our kids suddenly comes to an abrupt halt. But it doesn’t have to be all bad. There are many perks to having an empty nest. And many things that you will and should love about being an empty nester.
I am very positively sure that you love your kid as much as I love mine. However, not having to worry about having enough stuff for lunch to pack or if their favorite shirt is clean for spirit day, are things that I gladly no longer do! We can worry about us, and us alone.
Okay, I still worry about my kid, if he’s eating enough or sleeping enough. But that is probably something we will always do, because we are good parents. Scratch that we are AWESOME parents. So now it is time for us to enjoy OUR time!
- That takes me into my first point. Your time is all your own. We can sleep in an extra five minutes and not have to worry about car line, stay up late, or even shower when we want and not have to worry about anyone else using all the hot water.
- Our house is always clean. There are no dishes piled up in the sink or all over the counters. We pick up after ourselves and that’s it. No one to mess up the kitchen late at night or to leave their belongings scattered all over the house.
- No excessive noise. The house isn’t filled with the usual kid sounds, door slamming, arguing, instrument practice, loud music, video game beeping, and off-key singing! You can now listen to your music as loud as you want and it won’t bother anyone. Unless it’s really loud than your neighbors might get annoyed! Or you can just be really, really quiet. That’s okay too.
- A good night’s sleep. I do not know about you but I could never sleep until I knew my son was home safe in his bed. It took some time but I am now able to go to bed and go to sleep naturally (most of the time). I do not feel the need to wait up. Often, I will check in with him right before I go to bed and that helps me sleep better as well.
- Work on your relationships. This can include your spouse, other children, parents, or friends you have been neglecting. You can now give the other people who take up space in your heart some of your time. Go out on dates, spend time doing something they enjoy, or just simply being together are all great ideas to support those other relationships in your life.
- Your washer and dryer get a break. Less clothes in your house means less loads of laundry. Take advantage of the time you are not folding clothes and do something for yourself.
- Eat what you want when you want. No more cooking separate meals or having to cook what you know they will eat. Now you can enjoy whatever you want. If that means eating eggs and toast every night then so be it. You are not setting an example for your good eating habits any longer. So, if you want it eat it! That’s what I do anyway!
- Cheaper utility bills. This is something I noticed especially in my water bill. The water usage is down since there is only one-person showering. And running the washer less is also a water saving bonus. So, yay! And there is always hot water when I step into the shower. No worries about it being all used up!
- No fighting over the remote. That TV remote is all yours. You do not have to fight over what you are going to watch and the remote is always in the same exact place where you left it! Magical! I also enjoy that my internet is running up to speed and not bogged down by my son playing games or watching movies. It’s all mine!
- Family time is more meaningful. When you do get to spend time together as a whole family, the time spent takes on a new meaning. For my family we spend as much time together as possible doing all the things we enjoy. This makes those long weekends take on new meaning and allows you to be more intentional with your activity planning.
- Our stuff is our own. We do not have to share our stuff anymore. Our clothes, shampoo, hair brush, shoes, cars, sandwiches, etc. When we want to wear something, we know right where it is. Hopefully in our closet. Now, I had a boy so we didn’t share a lot of clothes but we definitely shared Chapstick’s, food, and headphones to name a few items.
- Nag free environment. There is no more nagging. We do not have to ask our kid over and over again to pick up or clean up something. Yes, we have to do it all ourselves now. However, there is less to do as I already pointed out. And homework is on their own. They have to figure out a schedule that works for them and it is out of our hands!
- Travel on our schedule. We no longer have to wait for those school breaks to go on a vacation. We can travel when it’s convenient to our schedule. And sometimes there are better deals on flights and hotels when the kids are in school. Bonus.
- Go out when we want. No more checking in or making sure everyone is taken care of before we go out with our friends. We do not have to check the calendar for the game schedules or dance recitals. Now we can pull out our phone and type in what day and time we are meeting up. Plus, we do not even have to worry about being back home before them.
- Work on self-improvement. Now is our time, as I already said. We can work on us, read books, exercise, nap, or get a facial. There is nothing stopping us now. Our schedule is open to endless possibilities. So, let’s fill it with meaningful activities that will make us look and feel good. Volunteering at a local animal shelter is a great time filler. It is helping out others, therefore we will feel good. So, check it out!
Well there you have it. All the reasons we have to love our newly empty nests. This list is probably not all inclusive and if you feel like there is something, I am missing feel free to email me at emptynestedmama@gmail.com and let me know. Also, I would love to hear about your favorite part of your empty nest.
In case you missed my earlier posts about the beginning of my empty nested journey you can check them out here and here. I also would love for you to subscribe to my email list so you can stay up to date on my empty nested journey and ways that I can help you on yours as well. Click here to subscribe if you have not already joined my list.
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my latest article. If you are on your empty nested journey, keep your head up it does get easier.
