The Empty Nest: Your Changing Family, Your New Direction

by Celia Dodd

Newly updated, The Empty Nest is an uplifting, practical and inspiring guide to adjusting to life after your children leave home.More than half a million parents confront the empty nest for the first time each year. It is one of the most challenging phases of parenting, often creating feelings of loss, lack of purpose and crisis of identity which can lead to depression. Yet it receives little recognition. And contrary to popular opinion it doesn't only affect women who've put their careers on working mothers and fathers suffer too. Equally, it can be a period of liberation and discovery of new challenges, when marriages long overstressed by childcare can be rejuvenated.The Empty Nest includes case studies documenting a wide range of experiences of parents living through an empty nest; expert comment and advice; plenty of practical ideas, inspiration and tips. This encouraging, empowering books helps you to focus on the positive as well as how to handle the changing relationship with your children to ensure a fulfilling and good relationship going forward, an area of parenting often ignored.

Genres: Nonfiction

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2011

Reviews

[Tom O'Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife and I are about to send our two children off to University on the same day, and I am very thankful to have found this book. Celia Dodd has helped me find accessible language and relatable case studies to help with understanding my experience. After reading this book, and reflecting on the many aspects involved, I feel I will be better able to support myself, my wife, and our children through this massive change in our lives. In addition, the common themes in this book and positive strategies help me to realize that I will get through this - it will be painful - but there are exciting things to come in this next life chapter which include a loving and adult relationship with my children. It was very helpful that the active role parents need to play in moving forward with their own lives is, lovingly, and clearly explained and reiterated with next steps and strategies. My copy is highlighted and annotated as I know I will return to it once the kids leave. I read this book because I wanted to be able to explore, think about, and learn about The Empty nest from front to back, learn from other peoples’ experiences- and I wanted positive and helpful tips to move forward in a happy and healthy way as a person, a father and a spouse. It delivered on all fronts.

[Phil Nicholls · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Empty Nest explores the experience of parents when their children leave home for university or simply to live on their own. Dodd explores the issues involved and includes lots of advice for helping parents cope with this challenging stage of parenting.

We are not at that stage yet, but I do feel the passage of time and the loss of those early years with cute little boys. I know this is all part of being a parent, but that awareness does not always help my feelings of sadness.

This book was helpful, although it’s focus was much more on the mother’s experience. I have been primary carer for the boys, which was only dealt with in passing by Dodd. While the book was helpful, it was not precisely what I needed to read. Yet, I may read it again, perhaps nearer the time when the boys are leaving for university.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very informative and easy to relate to; I highlighted lots of text which I found insightful and helpful and liked the layout of contents of the book.

There was quite a bit on young adults leaving for university which was not the bit I was particularly interested in although I found myself acknowledging some of the pointers. All in all, a very interesting book and definitely worth a read from my ‘end of an era’ perspective.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and sympathetic information and suggestions as to what to do as an empty nester. I really liked that the author didn’t talk down to me and understood that my feelings weren’t unusual, just not widely talked about. Would definitely recommend!