Don't be too concerned, advises an associate professor of psychology at Mississippi State University. They have more private time together and many times marriages improve. Since parenting teenagers can be very stressful, it may almost be a relief when all the kids finally have left home. If there are sad feelings, the cause may be a realization that they didn't spend more time with their children during adolescence. With the added free time, parents usually find time to do things they may never have done.
Many couples begin to travel or begin new hobbies.
Some women who have never worked may return to college or begin a career. Most likely, however, homesickness is more common with the children than with the parents. Communication is the key for helping homesickness, she adds. E-mail can be the best way to stay close because the child can answer the message when he or she wishes. Parents sometimes can feel discouraged when they telephone a child and he or she is not there to answer.