Many parents and families end up with an empty house once the children have moved out. Most commonly, this happens around September, but kids may move out for other reasons, too. Parents may feel quite lost for a while once their children have left the nest, but it’s important that they realise that there are quite a few options available to them. Continue reading this article to learn more about the data behind parents coping with empty nest syndrome, and learn from industry experts Furniture Village what your options are with the empty space.
Home Gyms
When parents have an empty room, a popular option is to turn it into a home gym. This doesn’t mean you need to transform it into a professional gym completely, you just need to utilise the empty space with some equipment. Some examples include a treadmill, but you could also just use the space for a yoga mat and some free weights.
Create A Home Office
Perhaps you’ve wanted to create a home office for some time, with hybrid working becoming the norm. Now is the perfect time to make your children’s old bedrooms into your dream working space or somewhere to make your own.
You can find home office furniture from Furniture Village to sort out your new office. Ensure you purchase comfortable office chairs and find desks and office storage solutions that suit your style and work for your budget.
Consider what you will need for a home office. You may realise that you need a desk and a computer, or you may just need to move some bits around. Maybe leave the bed for when your child comes home from time to time, so that they still have somewhere to stay.
Guest Bedroom
You should ensure that there is still a bed in this room for anyone who wants to visit. For these reasons, it may be a good idea to dedicate the room to be a spare bedroom completely.
This means there will be space for when your child comes home and room for anyone else who may want to visit. You don’t have to transform the room massively. For example, you could just look to upgrade the bed, and maybe paint the room to be more neutral colours.
Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome
This is an option that will be in your best interest. For most people, they end up with an empty house due to family members moving out. For example, a child may have moved out to attend university. For parents who are struggling with this change, they may be suffering with something known as empty nest syndrome.
Each September brings with it the start of a new university year, the end of summer and … the empty nest syndrome. As excited students travel to university towns to begin their new life away from home, parents all over the country feel quite differently about these major life changes. According to search data, online searches for ’empty nest syndrome’ go through the roof in September. Furniture Village, one of the UK’s largest furniture retailers, looked further into what is really going on in the home once the kids are not there anymore.
Considering September marks the start of a new academic year, students going off to universities and parents becoming distressed seeing their nest getting empty, it’s normal for Britons to hop online and try to find out more about how to cope best with all these changes.
Last year, there was an 86% spike in search for ’empty nest syndrome’ in September compared to August, with previous years seeing even bigger increases of up to 125% during the same month.
However, the shift in the number of searches for the common name given to the feeling of sadness they experience (aka ‘the empty nest syndrome’) is truly eye-opening.
The trend shows a decrease in October, but it’s not until November that the number of searches go back to the August average. This further suggests the jump is mostly related to parents being distressed about their children moving away as they start university, many of them leaving home for an extended period of time for the first time in their life.
Options Going Forward
The kids are out of the house. Now what? You will find that you have quite a few options going forward.
- Discovering new hobbies and tapping into old ones: From pottery-making to calligraphy, photography and bird watching, the list of exciting activities parents can try is endless.
- Travelling the world or exploring their local area more: For parents who are retired, this is the time to get their bucket lists out and start crossing out their dream destinations.
- More “me time”: Exercising, getting massages, eating healthier and reading more are all amazing ways for parents to look after themselves. “
- Joining local clubs: Movie and book clubs are some of the most fun ways to meet new people, including fellow empty nesters.
- Sticking to a sleep schedule: Empty nesters will find it easier to come up with their own schedule, with the kids out of the house. A great tip is to ensure that good rest is a priority by sticking to a sleep schedule. This will keep energy levels up, reduce worrying, which can be more intense due to bad sleep and also support good mental health.
Conclusion
Remaining well-rested during this new chapter of your life is key. As mentioned, there could be numerous reasons as to why you now have an empty house. It will be up to you to make the best of it. Know that there are resources that can help, and changing up the home can help give you a new start. Furniture Village is one of Britain’s largest independent furniture retailers, with 54 stores nationwide. Since 1989, they have remained a strong family business, offering high-quality, beautifully designed furniture at a great price. They will be a great place to find furniture.
