Empty nest syndrome is the name for that feeling after your children have ‘flown the nest’ and you’re feeling a little lost, or empty without their daily presence. It happens most often during Autumn, when children (who are no longer children!) are setting off on their next adventure, usually to university. It may be a good time to consider fostering.
It can be a challenge for parents to manage emotions surrounding their children leaving home – on the one hand, you’re happy for them to be exploring the world and proud that they’re becoming independent. On the other hand, you may realise that the ‘ideal peace and quiet’ you’ve looked forward to will soon get boring and you’ll miss having them around!
Sky Mobile carried out research in 2021 amongst parents with children leaving home and found that almost half (47%) were starting to fret about the prospect of having emptier homes. This indicates that it’s a much more common feeling than we might assume, and it’s worth exploring options to help reduce these feelings.
Have you thought about fostering?
Many parents still feel like they have more to give. Of course you will always be a parent no matter what age your child is, but with their growing independence, it may be that you realise you aren’t ready to have a house with no children in it. With a little extra space in your home, and potentially more time on your hands, have you considered welcoming in a child or siblings that need you? Would you consider fostering?
Paula and Dave were ‘empty nesters’ and shared a bit about their story:
“When our first daughter moved out of our home, it was definitely quieter, but it wasn’t until our other daughter moved out that I really noticed how much I missed them…even their bickering!
My husband jokingly said ‘Oh no, we’ve become those empty nesters!’
A friend of ours fosters and suggested we could use the extra space to provide a home for other children that need it. At first, we were a bit unsure as we wouldn’t want our daughters to feel like they were being replaced, so we decided we would start fostering as respite carers [providing care on a temporary basis when parents/other carers require breaks].
That was a few years ago and we now have two brothers in long-term foster care – our own daughters have been very supportive and are actually proud of us for doing something useful with the time and space we had.
It’s obviously not all smooth-sailing, and we are much busier again… but their smiles and seeing them opening up is worth every challenging moment.”
There are different types of fostering
When you consider foster care, it’s important to know that there are different types of fostering, so don’t be discouraged if you’re not sure of the commitment of full-time fostering. Like Paula and Stuart, you could provide short term breaks for children in foster care initially. Our team work hard to match you and the child(ren) because we want the best possible outcomes for all involved. There is a little more information found on our common questions page, but these are all things you can discuss with our recruitment officer when you enquire.
Could fostering be in your future?
Allison and her husband proactively planned ahead to combat empty nest syndrome:
“It [fostering] was something that my husband and I always wanted to do.
We even moved to a larger house to be able to go for it when our own children showed no rush to move out, even living at home through university!!
Over the last ten years of fostering, our own two children have moved on to make their own homes and families.
Fostering definitely made our home a happy place during what would have undoubtedly been a time of ‘empty nest syndrome’ for me.” – Allison
Could you consider fostering?
Whether you’ve known that you’d like to be a foster carer for years, you’re unsure if you’d be any good, or you’d just like to know a bit more, we have a dedicated recruitment officer who is happy to have a no-obligation chat.
Simply fill out the contact form and get in touch today – it might just be the best thing you do!
