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The Five Stages Of Empty-Nest Syndrome

The Five Stages Of Empty-Nest Syndrome
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Huff/Post 50 Editor, The Huffington Post

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I’m struggling with the fact that all my kids have now left home. I’ve since learned that empty-nester syndrome actually consists of five distinct states, and I’m currently working my way through them.

Denial. I told myself at first that this was just a temporary thing. I wasn’t really an empty-nester. The boys would be back in August for a couple of weeks, and then home for the Christmas holidays and so forth.

Clearly, I was in denial. I know from my experience with older kids that once they leave the nest, they never really come back home, because it isn’t their home anymore. It’s just a place to visit.

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