Ep. 53: Why the Empty Nest isn't as scary as you think Teenage Kicks Podcast

This episode is a little dose of comfort for anyone who has older teenagers and is staring in the face of a prospective empty nest. Liz and Michelle both have adult children, and have so many good things to say about their life since their kids left home for university.

We discuss the fact that being over 50 isn't the end, and how learning new things is just part of the new normal for us as our kids move on.

Liz and Michelle have reassuring words for anyone who fears that the eyerolls teenagers throw their parents' way are here to stay. They say their relationships with their adult children have really surprised them with how rewarding they are.

They say that rather than feeling completely bereft when their children moved on, they were pleased to see them fly the nest and become their own adult selves. They stay in touch more than they did before via text and social media, and can be really supportive of their mums.

We talk about competitive cooking when our kids get boyfriends and girlfriends and start to spend more time with a family other than your own - something which reassured me that I'm not the only one who turns into Gordon Ramsay when my kids are dating.

Liz and Michelle also tell me about the importance of starting to reconnect with your partner before your kids leave so that it's less of a shock to the system when you find yourselves alone together after so long as a family.

Who are Liz and Michelle?

Their podcast Two Women Chatting [https://www.twowomenchatting.com/] was born when two neighbours got chatting and realised how much they had in common - and their kids told them they should put their conversations online. They talk about everything midlife and parenting teens, and have tackled issues like menopause, meningitis and self-care.

More teenage parenting tips from Helen Wills:

Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy [https://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/] a resource for midlife parents of teens.

Thank you for listening! Subscribe [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/teenage-kicks-podcast/id1501488455] to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email teenagekickspodcast@gmail.com.

There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-do-you-cope-loss-parent-when-youre-teenager-ryan/id1501488455?i=1000495564421], becoming a young carer [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/danielle-on-being-a-young-carer-for-her-alcoholic-mum/id1501488455?i=1000468538022], and being hospitalised with mental health problems [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/emma-bradley-on-being-hospitalised-mental-health-problems/id1501488455?i=1000470008123] - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives.

You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] @iamhelenwills.

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Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional.

Podcast produced by James Ede at Be Heard [https://www.beheard.org.uk/] production.