Question for you empty nesters
What’s the best part of this chapter of life that no one tells you about? Or what do you like least about it?
Mrs. HMD and I are only about a month into it. I'm digging it a lot more than she is so far.
28 Replies
6mo
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
That was my biggest hassle I didn't really think about before. When kid(s) were home we could just have them take care of the dogs if we wanted to go on a weekend trip or something. Now its scrambling around figuring out what to do with them if we do something last minute.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
(In response to this post by EvDogHokie)
6mo
Least about it? So many things are "the last time".
Last time borrowed car
Last time shoveling snow together
Last time for...etc
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
J
jdkhokie
6mo
you have limited control over their actions and you pray they do not get hurt in car wreck or do something stupid. They still spend money like it was candy and seem to have little appreciation that they are delaying your permanent retirement and future plans.
I want to buy a sizeable tract of land with a cabin in Western Carolina or Southwest Virginia and I am now 4 years out from making it happen. My dream is to trout fish become anonymous and off the main grid and get armed to the teeth in case we are invaded by space aliens. They could be here tomorrow.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
you find out that either (1) you have nothing in common with your wife anymore or (2) you reconnect.....I am liking that my wife and I have reconnected.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
and for 18 years, our social group had been the parents of their friends.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
moved away, and we found that we had less in common with the ones remaining than we used to.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
** Edited by Brown Water at 1/29/2026, 9:50:51 AM
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
2) You buy groceries and you still have food in the house tomorrow;
3) Ditto #2 for beer and wine
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
I think my wife cooks once or twice a week now, and we only have to do dishes every couple of days.
(In response to this post by HokieHusband)
6mo
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
baseball game or field hockey event or stay home on a Friday/Saturday night because our room above our detached garage was full of kids. But, rather than run around on a whim, we are tied down with a dog.
On the flip side, this structure and the kids activities turned into our activities. We enjoyed going and seeing all the parents. We still see them in the grocery store or Costco and talk and talk and say "let's get together soon", but it rarely happens.
Finally, we miss the kids. Kinda.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
find more time to hang out together. So I'm trying to just enjoy the time we do have with them
(In response to this post by RhinoVT)
6mo
doing nothing most times like us. It is comfortable to just sit there, not clean up or prepare or have to drive somewhere. A kid or school event made you do it. If it's a choice, laziness rules.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
stress. I changed my pattern of daily life and its fun. I picked a couple of no profits to help and some focus on getting reaquainted with the MRS. We travel alot, We do fun things alot, We may be drinking alot! Every day is fun and alot less looking forward to things.
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
I've worked from home for 20 years so fortunately there's no need to get reacquainted with the Mrs. We both are pursuing more things we're interested in, including volunteering, now that we have more time. I do wish we had more of those things in common, but it's early so maybe that'll happen with time.
(In response to this post by UTPr0sim)
6mo
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)
6mo
(In response to this post by Brown Water)
6mo
(In response to this post by Burruss Writer)
V
Va AandM
6mo
Just takes time to adjust to the new situation. In our case it was 25 years since there was only us. Then we had 1 move back in for 2 years after the nest was empty for a couple years and we were in a new routine. The kid went to med school 2 years after graduation and having lived with friends. That took some major adjusting for all of us after the kid away for 6 years. The kid stayed for years 1 and 2 before rotations required 5 minutes from the hospital. It was not all bad. We became a popular place for study sessions because we'd whip up snacks and had bottomless coffee and tea.
On the other hand both my thesis advisors (MS, PhD) got divorced with 2 years after the last of their 3 kids went to college.
** Edited by Va AandM at 1/29/2026, 8:27:10 AM
(In response to this post by HokieMacDaddy)