Myth Versus Reality
Recent studies have increasingly shown that parents whose children leave home do not necessarily experience the griefs of empty nest syndrome. A study done on British, Chinese, Southern European, and Indo/East Indian families living in Vancouver, British Columbia found that although parents felt some sadness at their children leaving home, a majority experienced increased marital happiness and more leisure time (Lovegreen & Mitchell, 2009). The idea is that the anticipation of children leaving home is more frightening than when they actually do leave and many parents can utilize their new found free time to engage in activities they could not when their lives revolved around nurturing their children (Lyon, 2008). A growing body of research on marriage has shown that once children are brought into the picture, especially the first child, overall marriage satisfaction and happiness decrease (Parker-Pope, 2009). Children often bring about financial stress to families, time constraints, an abundance of household duties on women, and couples are only able to spend about one-third the time alone together they did when they had no children (Lyon, 2008). Once the children leave home, it is considered an optimal time for couples to rediscover and rekindle their relationship by spending more time together. Their children no longer have to be their primary focus during the day and many couples express their quality of time spent together actually improves (Lyons, 2008).
Read more about this topic: Empty Nest Syndrome
Famous quotes containing the words myth and/or reality:
“The poet who speaks out of the deepest instincts of man will be heard. The poet who creates a myth beyond the power of man to realize is gagged at the peril of the group that binds him. He is the true revolutionary: he builds a new world.”
—Babette Deutsch (1895–1982)
“Two myths must be shattered: that of the evil stepparent . . . and the myth of instant love, which places unrealistic demands on all members of the blended family. . . . Between the two opposing myths lies reality. The recognition of reality is, I believe, the most important step toward the building of a successful second family.”
—Claire Berman (20th century)