What is empty nest syndrome?

With the summer holiday season drawing to a close, many university students are preparing to leave home for the first time and head to campus accommodation. While they’re enjoying freshers week, chances are their parents may be finding it unsettling that their child is no longer present at home. That’s even more likely when it’s their last child who’s just left home. This form of grief is known as empty nest syndrome and it disproportionately affects mothers, who statistically tend to spend more time taking care of children than men, when it comes to heterosexual couples. Why would that be a cause of sadness though? Shouldn’t parents be happy to see their children moving forwards in life? What can parents do to cope with empty nest syndrome? ⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !⁠ To listen to the latest episodes, click here: ⁠Is "quiet quitting" helping employees find a better work-life balance?⁠ ⁠How is the #Periodsomnia campaign helping to close the period sleep gap?⁠ ⁠What is the windscreen phenomenon?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 6/9/2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices