20 Dos and Don’ts to Love About Having an Empty Nest
Your kids are either almost out of college or on their own. You’ve spent the better part of the the last quarter of a century starting a family, raising a family, and making sure everyone is off to a good start. Now what? You may feel as if you don’t really know your place anymore. Well, this is your time to reinvent yourself. Here are 20 Dos and Don’ts to get you started:
1. Since you’re likely saving on groceries with no more kids in the house, spend the extra cash to treat yourself to a back massage or a pedicure…just because.
2. Plan trips just for you and your partner. If you’re alone, plan trips just for you.
3. Travel in the off season since you no longer have to work around your kids’ school schedules. It’s cheaper and less crowded.
4. Eat “TV dinners” while watching a television or maybe a movie.
5. Reconnect with old friends that you haven’t had enough time for while you were both raising families.
6. Don’t kill yourself at the gym. Instead, take yourself on a nice walk.
7. Take long hot showers or long warm baths.
8. Don’t say hi to people in the grocery store just because your kid went to school with their kid. This may seem small, but it’s so liberating.
9. Don’t have people over if you don’t want to.
10. Only associate with people you like.
11. If your partner snores or moves around when sleeping, go sleep in one of your kids’ beds to ensure you’re well rested in the morning.
12. Your house doesn’t have to be the cleanest or the most up to date. Your lawn doesn’t have to be perfect either.
13. Try doing something you’ve never done before like taking a class or even something a little more challenging—like sky diving!
14. Do things that you enjoy and never had the time to do before, such as traveling, gardening, or writing a blog.
15. Set boundaries with relatives. You’re too old to have to deal with judgmental family members with too many opinions about your life.
16. Dress more comfortably.
17. Take care of your health.
18. Forgive yourself. You’re trying your best and that’s all you can do.
19. Look at yourself in the mirror. Smile and say, “Damn! I look pretty good for my age!”
20. Take time to think about your past and and make plans for your future. Now’s the time to start dreaming again! What would you like to do? This is only the beginning of the rest of your life.
