It was the most beautiful aisle set up amidst the most beautiful skies. And why should it not be this way — the most beautiful daughter of a beautiful family was getting married that day. As Destiny had planned, the princess had found a perfect match, and things could not be better. It was happiness everywhere.

As the princess bird walked down the aisle, the trees themselves made way for the beautiful bride. After the “I do” ceremony, the newlywed bird couple kissed each other, and flew to skies far far away to live happily ever after.

But what had left behind were the bird parents and their empty nest — and this is a syndrome that millions of parents deal with every single day.

“Empty Nest Syndrome” is a feeling of grief and loneliness parents may feel when their children move out of the family home, as to attend a college or to find a job or when in a relationship. This is more prevalent in stay-at-home mothers and fathers.

I recall it was 2007 when I was in my secondary school that my parents decided to send me out of the town for my studies. It has been 15 years since then, I am travelling the world yet my parents have been living in the empty nest.

And my stupid self only visit them once every year for a month. A confession to make — I feel guilty about it.

I feel it is the duty of us kids to help our parents deal with this change. It can be challenging for kids themselves as they are also trying to acclimatize themselves to a new environment — but it is not that difficult, and a few simple ways can help.

I. Keep a connect with your parents, and tell them all the good things you are doing.

Parents are often concerned about losing a sense of control over their kids, and not knowing what is happening in their life. But with all the technology available, it is not difficult anymore.

When I first moved out, calling was still expensive. So there was a rule in my house, to call me every third day 😄 (You can easily guess who created this rule). Now, thanks to WhatsApp and Viber, I talk to my parents every single day. I tell them I am doing just fine — and this is all the parents ever want to know. Most importantly, this helps to control anxiety of our parents.

II. Help your parents connect with their hobbies again.

With us kids moving out of the house, parents have a lot of free time at hand, which was earlier spent catering to kids. Now in the absence of senseless demands from us kids, we can help our parents reconnect with their old hobbies or help them find a new purpose in their life. Our parents never clip our wings, maybe it is time we help them grow theirs as well.

III. Help them transition from Grief to Joy!

Usually, the period of grief, uneasiness and anxiety only lasts for a few months. Once our parents realize that their kids are working hard to carve a path for themselves, their grief translates to a sense of satisfaction, which ultimately translates to joy. And this is enough for them to cater to the empty nest syndrome.

All the parents know that a nest only holds the eggs until they are hatched. And after that, it is time for the baby sparrows to fly and explore the endless skies. What always surprises me is that, however difficult it is for our parents, they never stop us birds from venturing out and flying.

Recap to remember:
 — As per a study, empty nest syndrome often leads to an elevated levels of depression among the seniors. Stats have been mentioned in above picture.
 — As kids, we must take simple steps to help our parents cope up with this empty nest syndrome — including keeping a constant connect with them.

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