Don't Let Your Empty Nest Leave You Estranged

When birds fly the nest, they never come home again. Their parents lose sight of them forever, and the circle of life continues. The concept seems alien to us, and it’s something which will surely be on your mind when your kids fly away. What if you never hear from them? What if they become as distant as those birds do? Many parents end up more estranged from their adult children than they’d like. This is especially the case if your kids are leaving for new pastures. Before you know, meetings become a one a year, stilted affair.

That can make saying goodbye tougher than it needs to be. Not only are you saying goodbye to your housefull, but you’re also saying goodbye to a regular relationship with your kids. Or, are you? In truth, there’s no reason that even a long-distance move needs to leave you estranged. All you need to do is take care of the following to keep that relationship strong no matter where you all end up living.

Replace phone calls with video chats

The chances are that you’ve made arrangements for regular phone calls with your kids. This is a sure way to keep communications open. What you might not realize is that video calls could serve that purpose better. With programs like Skype, you and your children could see each other regularly. This is a small thing that can go a long way towards keeping you close. While you may need to upgrade your internet to packages like those found on optimum.com to manage this, it’s a step worth taking. As simple as that, it’ll feel like your kids never left home in the first place during those chats.

Always have something in the calendar

Not knowing when you’re going to see your children can be difficult. Obviously, you want to find other ways to keep yourself busy, but not having anything planned is sure to leave you at a loss. Make sure it doesn’t happen by planning your next date before parting ways. Knowing that you have a plan to meet in three months will help you to cope with the distance. If you’re at a loss as to what you could do together, consider the ideas for bonding with your adult child on sites like bestlifeonline.com. Then, make sure to agree on options like these ahead of time so you can look forward and also chill out in the meantime.

Don’t be afraid to invite them over

It’s also important to note that you should still invite your kids home sometimes. Merely asking them over for a Sunday dinner is all it takes. The chances are that they’ll still be more than happy to come back to the family home once in a while. Too often, though, parents make the mistake of not wanting to impose. Don’t do the same. Make sure that your kids know they’re always welcome, and you may start to see far more of them than you expected.