"Empty Nest Syndrome"...gra ndchildren this time not children!

I can empathise with you all; we moved to the town where my daughter and 2 grandchildren live in order to support them all when ex son-in-law left (It wasn't part of our grand 'retired plan'.
However we wouldn't have missed this for the world and we have a wonderful, close relationship with both of our grandchildren.
We have been doing this for 10 years and now the younger one is going to the high school, to join his sister, in September. We'll still have them for a 'sleepover' one night a week, but 'breakfast club', when they were delivered to us at 7.40 am, has now finished!
It is important to have other things in your life that will gradually fill the gaps.

My grandson is 9 and there is a new born I may mind one day a week.

I am resisting more involement because i want to be my own person.

This is hard, getting on a plane and going to a European city for the weekend, driving in Europe, meeting other grans abroad etc. Doing non family things I will enjoy.

Its easier looking after the gran-kids!! Although tiring, its familiar....

Only one life.... want to do new and different things....when the gran-kids leave to live their lives, its time to live your life in a different way.

Out of comfort zone.

Am widowed. If there are any grans who feel like I do like to hear from you.

After 8 years of continuous childminding, the youngest GC starts school in September

My advice is to find a (volunteer?) group that 'meshes' with your caring nature. This will give you nice people to spend a few hours with, and a feeling of purpose and achievement. Community cafés can be great but there are lots of other groups to become part of, like charity shops and befriending schemes. Then, when the family visit, you will have had adventures to tell them about, too!

sss ds asfd aoifuaoi

It's been over a year but I am hoping to bump this thread. I am putting together a feature about empty nest syndrome second time around. I have seen many comments about this and how it affects grandparents on Gransnet but it isn't a subject that seems to be addressed more widely. Parents - the intermediaries between grandparents and their grandchildren - often seem either unaware of the situation or sometimes even obstructive.

If you have any thoughts on this or, before that, any questions for me about who I am etc - please either post here or email me at stefaniemarsh AT yahoo DOT com

Thank you, I really appreciate it

Hi I am glad I have found this site . And realised I am not alone with my Empny nest S. I have 7 grandchildren and a 2 month old great grand child .. We all live close in same town. Had so much ti d with them when they were younger . But now like I have read on here they do get in with their lives as it should be . But got to say I do miss the. At times . Ages are from 12 to 26. But instead of not seeing them in person . I realised how much they are on face book instagram Twitter , meassages texts. . Well I learnt a few years ago . I have got to keep up with them. So I got my self into all of these sites now .. And now that Empny feeling I had is not so hard as I do all the Facebook Instagram and so on ..And if anyone of them contacts me as they do now After realising how I was feeling bless them. ( I used to do some thing with them every week. All 7 of them together ). Swimming. Cinema park picnic . The wee Games just fun football marches I could go on). So they grow up and yes just like you all .Birthdays Christmas Easter and Just last week Mum day . But on line I know they their always if I need a chat and believe me I just want to say thank you as now I know I Am not alone with these feelings which I had all last year I felt tottaly lost in my self ...But now I have realised they have simply grown up .and I done the same my self many years ago . Working having fun busy life’s but sometimes I think how busy are they when I look in Facebook twitter Instagram and so on where ever do they get the time to be on their but they are .. And that ok with me as I know as I am watching them .All of them are watching them and that helps me knowing that .when they pop in and says Hi Nanny How are you today from all .. Gives me a lovely feeling as sometimes al pop in and we all chat to each other in group chat ..And always say how is Pops is he ok ( my hubby ). So what I am trying to say is , I had to learn how to do all this so I can keep up with them . And I am so pleased I did as now I know that life now days . Never with out their Mobil phones in their hands . As I got mine around me al, the time Can’t blame them it their time
now .And the only way I could get this Empny nest feeling to go away . On here I know I can catch up with their lives every day if I need to. I am so proud of them all . They are just simply Being them selves . Good at all they have picked in life .And never had any trouble with then . Their parents
My 3 Sons 3 daughters inlaw ) have done a Amanzing job with them in all ways esp Manners which in all them .. I laugh now and call them my IT grabs kids .Ans from my oldest Grand daughter and her partner they make sure we see our great great daughter when it possible . But also photos send to me through my email and Mobil . So glad I learnt all this through learn Direct at my local library and it was free at the time .They done a good job teaching with me no looking back .. I am called a cool Nanny now by my lot. .My next thing now is relising all earn money , fri. The 12 year up to 26. So can’t keep up with gifts and things I used to buy for the. .. So that will change this year ... cut backs and so on .. Need a holiday for my self and their Pops . Being seniors now I need our money more than my grand kids .. And I am sure they understand when we have that chat . And I know we be still on here all together that life now .. please escuse Grammer spelling never being good with it.. sorry long letter and love ( never stop saying that word love you or them to me lots of times ). Brought them up to. She sure they know thistle word and I am glad because it work ..It has to work both ways .. We want then to reach out to us ..But you know we also git to keep up with them. And now I know that is so Simple to do got to keep up with life as life is now otherwise we all stay behind and lost . And that can be Lonley and Sad I can’t do that it not me ,,Hope you all understand what I mean this morning you Take care. Nanpops7 xx



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So sorry sorry Know lots if spelling mistakes . And I am so bad I do write long letters and write as I talk just to fast and the stop and think after sending it . Wow I should have checked it I can see my mistakes but I think who ever reads it will understand what I wa trying to say ..If you csnt best the. You have too join them old fashioned saying I know but thank god it works for me .x

I’ve often said to anyone who’ll listen “ why have I put myself through this again” As one by one of my eight grandchildren are growning away. I still have three little uns who stay over and I see a lot (somtimes too much) two stay overnight two night a week and most weekends but I know when the youngest reaches 13 or so (she’s 6 ) that’ll be it. When my 8yrs old grandson was telling me about his favourite car I asked him if he would take me shopping when I was too old to drive and he told me “No nanna I’ll be too busy” that’s probably true. By the time the 6 year old is fed up with us I’ll have had almost 50 years surrounded by children. All that effort, all that love, all the ensuing pain of them moving on. Will it have been worth it? You bet it has.