Feeling Kind of Low? 11 Tips for When Your Kids Leave Home

When I thought about my youngest child going off to college, I worried I’d miss him and his bear hugs—his messy room, not so much.

Never mind what the hubby and I would talk about or what would I do with all those free hours. But when the time came, I actually felt kind of relieved. I was busy with a job I loved, he was at a great school, and all the nagging about filling out apps was finished forever.

But reactions differ—from “Where’s the party?” to “Why doesn’t Costco sell bigger boxes of...