Confronting the Kindergarten Empty Nest
- September 13, 2016
- by Melissa Lawrence
Hello mamas and papas welcome back to CloudMom. This week marked a milestone in our family as for the first time, all five of our children were in all-day school. Not knowing what to call this version of the empty nest, which usually takes place when kids head off to college, I’m calling it the Kindergarten Empty Next.
For all mamas and papas but especially perhaps for work from home moms and dads, this can be an abrupt and brutal change. Your chaotic household goes silent. You’re still left with a messy kitchen, unmade beds and stuff everywhere at 8am, but there’s no one to complain to (except perhaps your partner who is not so interested — ha ha!). The day begins and you are alone at home with a 7 hour stretch of time looking ahead of you like a long dark tunnel. It’s scary, liberating, lonely, and kind of exciting all at once. That’s the subject of today’s video.
Are you a mom at home reduced to *1*? Did you get the blues when your child headed off to Kindergarten? Tell me about it below!
Here are Marielle and Annaliese as they ready to board their bus to school. Comforting for me was that Marielle had her big sister to show her the ropes.
Here’s the lineup — Hedley (7th grade), Lachlan (6th), Beckett (4th), Annaliese (2nd) and Marielle (K).
We’re way past the diapers, past the wraps, slings, and carriers, past the strollers and buggy boards, past scheduling feedings, burping and breastfeeding. Yet those memories hold dear. I talk about the sense of loss and longing for those times in today’s video, even daring to show you my retired nursing chair, which now sits where it always has, housing various stuffed animals. Parting with this special chair in which I spent countless hours is not an option for me. I have separation anxiety and don’t like change.
Yet despite these feelings, I’m excited to get back into the groove of work and for my kiddos to have exciting new experiences. New worlds are opening and I have to embrace them rather than dwell on the past. I also opine on all that in today’s video, so take a look.
So as I gain back a few more hours during the day, I can turn back to Cloudmom a bit more and stay in my little world of parenting including babydom — yeah!
Watch my video for more and thanks so much for following Cloudmom!
xx Melissa
Comments