Myleene Klass on Letting Go When Your Child Leaves for University

Send us Fan MailYou've spent years knowing where your children are, what they're doing and, broadly speaking, whether they've remembered to eat. Then one day, you leave them at university... and drive home without them. On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to Myleene Klass MBE about what happens to the relationship between parents and children when they reach that next stage of independence. Research suggests parents receive an average of 528 texts a year from children who've left for university, yet nearly half worry they're checking in too often themselves. And it's easy to understand why. Saying goodbye can be one of the hardest parts of the university experience for parents. Suddenly, you have to trust that all those years of advice, encouragement and occasionally wondering whether they're listening to a word you're saying have prepared them for life without you constantly being there. Myleene knows that transition personally, with one of her own children at that stage of education, and we talked about finding the balance between staying connected and giving young people the space to build their own lives. Thankfully, keeping in touch doesn't necessarily mean a nightly phone call home anymore. Today's families communicate through everything from WhatsApp and FaceTime to memes, GIFs and TikToks. Sometimes a silly video sent without any explanation can effectively mean, "I'm thinking about you." Of course, there are also those timeless communications between children and their parents. "Can you send me some money?" And the occasional appearance of a bag of washing probably says: "I love you, Mum" in its own peculiar language too. But beneath the laughs is something every parent eventually has to confront. At some point, you have to loosen your grip and hope you've given your children what they need to make their own way. I finished our conversation by asking Myleene something more personal: is she proud of the mum she's become? Her answer was a lovely way to finish the interview, and one I suspect will resonate with plenty of parents. 🎧 Hear my full conversation with Myleene Klass now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh