As I observed my youngest son, Jake, preparing boxes for his final year at college, I experienced a blend of parental pride — he’s almost fully independent — and a hint of the empty nest sentiment. While that feeling may linger, it does become more manageable. I’ve come to appreciate the empty nest, and I’m confident you will too. Although I miss certain aspects of parenting young children, there are numerous reasons I’m thankful my kids are now adults.
- The repetitive task of filling out the same forms year after year. Back in 2010, our local school district still required us to do this by hand, often in duplicates and sometimes triplicates.
- Writing checks for lunch tickets, books, fees, donations, classroom supplies, bus passes, ID cards, and PTA memberships.
- More checks for booster clubs, activity fees, uniforms, costumes, yearbooks, overdue fines, cookie dough sales, and wrapping paper.
- Packing lunches only to find them uneaten in the backpacks. “I just wanted chips, Mom!”
- The endless cycle of carpools. Did I mention carpools?
- Waking my son up for school every day for 13 years. He’s now in college and manages to wake up all by himself. We’re so proud.
- Shopping for school supplies that went unused, like pink erasers and countless packs of 3-hole punch paper. And don’t forget the classroom supplies like tissues and hand sanitizer. Where did all that lottery funding go anyway?
- Engaging in small talk in the parking lot, waiting to pick up my child, with the mom whose kid seems to excel in everything.
- Buying two dozen mechanical pencils for my son, who invariably lost or gave them away within days of the school year starting. You’d think I would have learned by now.
- Purchasing clothes for my daughter that she wore once before defaulting to her trusty school sweatshirt and jeans, hair in a messy bun.
- Attending PTA meetings. They were often excruciating, yet the guilt of skipping was worse. Looking back, I wonder why I felt so compelled to go.
- Back-to-school night — did anyone genuinely want to be there? Perhaps the new teachers and parents of the overachievers.
- Parent-teacher conferences filled me with anxiety, fearing judgment for my child’s perceived imperfections, although that feeling faded after second grade.
- Annual check-ups with shots and yet more forms to complete.
- Driving past the school to check if my child was one of those walking along the fence, alone, while the others played. Luckily, that was never the case.
- Head lice.
- Dealing with smelly sports uniforms that needed washing daily. The football gear was especially delightful.
- The emotional rollercoaster of middle-school angst and drama.
- The seasonal onslaught of colds, coughs, and flus.
- Homework. Enough said.
- The whirlwind of auditions, try-outs, contests, and prom elections — a never-ending popularity contest.
- The anticipation of being asked to prom or asking someone else. (Of course, I’m talking about my kids, not myself!)
- The nerves of the first day of school and the infamous senioritis. Seriously, senioritis ought to be in the DSM-III.
- College applications, essays, and those pesky fees. Don’t forget the Common App, submission deadlines, extracurriculars, recommendations, and all those tests like the SAT and ACT.
- College admission anxiety — a parental ailment that surely deserves a mention in the DSM-III and often warrants a Xanax prescription.
In summary, while the journey of parenting young children is filled with challenges, the transition to having grown-up kids brings a unique sense of relief and freedom. Embracing this new phase allows for personal growth and exploration, much like the journey of home insemination, which is a rewarding path for many families. For those seeking guidance on this topic, resources like Hopkins Medicine’s fertility center and Saline Mist Inhaler for children can be invaluable. Plus, if you’re looking to enhance fertility, check out this post on fertility supplements.