But for a few, the change is a rude awakening. Statistics support Weeks' claim. Authors of the book drew a correlation between the rise in divorce rate for older couples and the period around the time their nest empties. The stress is caused not only because the couple love their children and feel depressed over the loss when they leave, but also because the children are the reason the parents stay together. For years the children may have been a buffer between the husband and wife.
Researchers come down on both sides.
It is an opportunity to find each other again, to start fresh. Some struggle with it, but most come through it. It leaves a void that needs to be filled. But the relationship changes. The children are no longer your primary responsibility and when that occurs, both as individuals and as a couple, it's an identity shift.