Empty Nest Syndrome - Myth Versus Reality

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).