When children leave home every parent experiences it differently this is also known as the empty nester syndrome. Understanding what type of empty nester are you can help you tackle that feeling of loneliness better. It is normal to feel empty and lonely when your children leave the house and it will take some time to adjust.

Which Type of Empty Nester Are You?

Listed below are a few types of empty nesters.

Identity Theft

You have had the identity of “mom” or “dad” as your core identity for a minimum of 20 years.  Then within a moment, your primary role shifts.

Time Warp

Your life has essentially revolved around your children’s busy life for most of your life. Now the busyness and fun-filled years have drifted away and you are left in a silent fog.

Quiet Refrigerator

For years you’ve stored food for each person’s taste, with the chip drawer filled and special treats each child enjoyed. Now the refrigerator is almost empty, you don’t like chips and in your confusion, you don’t know what to get at the grocery store.

Melancholy

You just dropped your last child at home off at college and you are on the long ride back home. The car seems quiet and the reality of the empty nest is setting in. Do I cry or do I tell myself not to be a neurotic mother? Do I sit in fear and look at my spouse in the car and wonder who he/she is?

Strangers

Many couples have spent so much time working and involved with their children, as their last child leaves the nest there is an estrangement with their partner. Who are we and what do we do with no basketball games on the weekends or homework and tests during the week to fill our lives? Where do we go from here?

Bonus. Looking for the cure? Check out these five empty nest solutions!