Many parents dream of the day when their not-so-little-ones come into their own and fly the coop. But sometimes the reality of being an empty nester is different than the dream. In fact, it’s not always easy to know what comes next once your kids have flown the nest. In this article, Let's explore a few of the options facing newly unfettered parents and the ways they can fill their time productively.
Take Time to Travel
Kids are often the lights in our lives, but being a parent can sometimes mean being tied down to one place. One of the great freedoms of life, after they’ve flown the nest, is the ability to travel without constraint. Take a good look at the map and think about what inspires your creativity, where you’d like to see, and who you’d like to see it with. You can plan your travel around events, locations, or people you want to see.
Revisit Childhood Memories
As an empty nester, revisiting childhood memories can be a delightful and nostalgic way to rediscover the joys of your youth. One enchanting idea is to plan a trip to Disney, where the magic of your childhood awaits at every corner. Imagine experiencing the thrill of Space Mountain once again – the speed, the twists, and the turns, all under the mesmerizing canopy of twinkling stars. It's not just a roller coaster ride; it's a journey back to those carefree days of wonder and excitement.
A Disney trip offers a unique opportunity to relive those cherished memories and create new ones, blending the past's joy with the present's appreciation. This adventure can be a delightful reminder of the timeless magic and wonder that Disney parks hold, proving that some joys truly are everlasting.
Consider Volunteering in Your Community
Volunteering is a great way to capitalize on your newfound free time and give back to your community. This can also be a great way to meet new people, reconnect with current events, and make a positive impact.
Send Custom Cards to Friends
In your free time, why not engage in the thoughtful and creative activity of designing custom cards to send to friends? Discovering how to make a card online is simple and rewarding with the use of a free greeting card creator. These online tools offer a variety of templates as a starting point, allowing you to infuse your personal touch into every card.
You can personalize your chosen template by adding unique fonts, incorporating your own images or photos, and selecting colors that reflect the occasion or your personal style. This process not only adds a personal flair to your messages but also allows you to express your creativity. Whether it's for a birthday, holiday, or just to say hello, a custom card crafted by you is sure to bring a smile to your friends' faces, making your gesture of connection all the more special.
Go Back to School Online
As an empty nester, going back to school to earn an online degree is an excellent way to sharpen your mind and embrace new challenges. For instance, by pursuing a computer science degree, you can significantly enhance your skills in IT, programming, and computer science theory. The beauty of an online degree lies in its flexibility, allowing you to easily fit classes into your busy life without compromising your current lifestyle or commitments.
This approach to education provides a convenient and adaptable way to expand your knowledge and skills from the comfort of your home. To help with your search, consider exploring various online programs that offer computer science degrees, focusing on those that best match your interests and professional aspirations. Engaging in this intellectual pursuit not only keeps your mind active but also opens up new opportunities for personal growth and potential career advancements in the ever-evolving field of technology.
Move Your Body
As we get older, it’s crucial to maintain discipline when it comes to exercise. Keeping active is essential for protecting and improving muscle strength and bone density. Doing so can help prevent falls and fractures, as well as maintain mobility and independence. Health.gov points out that exercise has also been shown to improve our mood and reduce the risk of depression and anxiety whilst improving cognitive function and helping to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. For personal coaching on your fitness journey, reach out to Beyond The Push Fitness today!
Declutter Your Space
You may find, in the absence of messy kids, you finally have the opportunity to declutter. You’ll find no shortage of online guides to help with this, or you could even reach out to a professional organizer to help. If in doubt, start with your paperwork — it’s easier than ever to digitize your records, and using a PDF splitter tool, it’s possible to conveniently separate large files for improved organization.
Get Your Hands Dirty with Gardening
The benefits of gardening are almost endless. Healthline notes that you can promote environmental sustainability by cultivating a source of fresh, locally grown produce (thus reducing carbon emissions), improve your physical health, and you may also find gardening can have therapeutic benefits, especially for individuals with mental health conditions or physical disabilities.
Downsize Your Home
After your kids have left home, you may also want to consider a change in your living accommodation. Downsizing can make life more manageable, free up cash and improve your freedom. If you’d prefer to rent, be sure to view online listings filtering by price, home type, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, and more. It’s often possible to use virtual tours to explore properties from the comfort of your home.
Embrace Your New Empty Nester Lifestyle
The period after our children leave home can be full of exciting opportunities and fulfillment. Don’t be afraid to launch yourself into the next chapter of life and make the most of your newly discovered free time. Whether you choose to create, return to school, start a business, or volunteer in your community, find things you enjoy and explore them!
The article was written by guest writer, Hal Salazar.
Hal Salazar created Elders.Today to lend a helping hand to seniors via carefully curated resources. Hal is newly retired, and as he embarked on planning and preparing for his golden years, he realized there was a lot of information to keep up with so he started gathering it all on his website to help out his fellow seniors. When Hal isn’t working on Elders.Today, he enjoys walking at his local park, testing out new recipes on his wife, Marlene, and playing piano.