The Empty-Nest Syndrome

How to cope with it.

- Sudha Balachandran

As parents – and more so as mothers – we have spent the better part of our lives tending to and taking care of our children. Starting from the pregnancy stage, our first and foremost concern has always been the well-being of our little ones – Did they eat well? Did they get enough sleep? Did they get sufficient physical activity? Did they do well in school? And did they make good friends? And so on. We worried endlessly, tried to protect them from hurt and rejection, encouraged them to grow, to explore newer horizons; and urged them to spread their wings.

We built a small nest – filled it with love and care and nurtured the fledglings. We sacrificed quite a few of our own dreams and desires to keep our kids happy. As working mothers, we opted for jobs that had flexible hours that let us spend more time with the children. We put our careers on hold and did not pursue bigger opportunities as that would have meant leaving the home and the children. Many of us quit our well-paying jobs just so we could be around the kids and tend to them. Our every waking moment was spent planning their activities – driving them around, dropping them off in classes, waiting to pick them up, preparing their favourite meals, baking cakes and pies to satisfy their sweet cravings, rustling up quick treats to feed their and their friends’ ever-hungry stomachs. All our schedules were planned to revolve around the children’s activities.