Empty Nest

Me being the youngest in my family and starting college this year my parents certainly have an empty nest. At first I saw a lot of changes from when I was at home. But, some things didn't change. My mom was still cooking food for a family of four when there is just two of them, they found themselves still calling me to see what i was doing at night. It was like I was still home just an hour away. My parents and I all through my life have had a close bond. I look at my mom like my best friend. Once I let them realize that i was going to be okay in college and that they didnt need to worry about the decisions i was making i saw huge changes in them. They started going out more, traveling, and doing things they always wanted to do but couldn;t because my brother and i were at home. I think that yes parents do go through times of the "Empty Nest" phase but it helps when there children let them realize they are okay. The way I have helped my parents with this is I call both of them frequently to say hello, and keep them updated. Another thing that has helped is that I have involved them in my life down here. I introduce them to the people i hang out with, and i think it has really helped them. Of course someone is going to change when the structure of your family changes but the most important thing is to try and keep the same funciton, i feel like by keeping in contact with my parents and having them know about things i do helps keep the function the same as when i was home.