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How to Stay Connected After the Kids Move Out
One challenge of empty nest parenting is how to stay connected after the kids move out. I spent years preparing them to live independently, but now I miss the mundane intimacy we shared while they were under my roof. We try to be intentional about planning family dinners, game nights, and movie dates. We video chat. And on the family text thread we share everything from goofy pet photos to what’s on sale at Costco. But there’s a difference between lighthearted connection and deeper relationship. Information is easy to exchange. How do we stay emotionally close? My son’s solution was…
Kathy Giles
Speaker / Writer
Archives
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My Dream to Write a Book Came True
To everyone who ever encouraged me to write a book, thank you. I’m excited to share that I’m a contributing author in the recently published collaborative book Reclaiming Me: Embracing Life and Purpose With an Empty Nest. In honor of the book’s launch, I thought I’d share my “how I got here” story. The origin…
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Just Two: The New Reality for Empty Nest Couples
As an empty nest couple with no grandchildren, my husband and I are rediscovering the joy of being “just two” again. So when we agreed to watch our children’s dogs for the weekend while both sets of kids were out of town, I teased him that this would be low-key grandparent practice. Although all four…
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We’re Related Now (But I Still Don’t Know What to Call You)
Now that we have in-law children, we also have in-law families: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, both related and honorary. What we lack is an easy way to refer to all of them. As I’m anticipating hosting the extended branches of our family for the holidays, I have teasingly called them “the in-laws and…
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Learning a New Rhythm of Life
It’s Lent. Often during this season I undertake some type of fast, setting aside a habit or a routine from my normal rhythm of life in order to focus more on God. But this year — my first as an empty-nest mom — my rhythm of life is thumping to a different beat. And in…
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How to Help Your Kids Find Suitable Spouses
“Mommy, I’m going to marry you when I grow up!” My three-year-old son blurted out this declaration one night during his bedtime routine. “Silly boy,” I said. “I’m already married to Daddy.” I went on to explain that God had someone else in mind for him. “Someday you will meet a girl who you will…
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If Parenting Had Do-Overs
Being an empty-nest parent is like being a Monday morning quarterback. You find yourself looking back on a game you’ve already played, and analyzing what you could have done differently. Prior to motherhood, I was a reasonably confident decision-maker. Parenting turned me into a second-guesser. How would my decisions impact my children’s character and competency…
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If My Nest is Empty, Why is My Basement Still Full?
With both our kids married and living in their own homes, my husband and I have officially joined the ranks of “empty nesters.” Can I just say I’m not sold on this label? I understand the reference; fledglings venturing out in independence, leaving Mom and Dad Bird with no one in the nest to nurture. …
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Five Things That are Smarter Than Me
I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person. I can balance my checkbook, hard boil an egg, and navigate using real maps. I’m teachable and love to learn new things. I can re-light the pilot on the water heater and reset the smoke alarm when the ribs sit too long under the broiler. I do logic…
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The Quest for King Crab
Adventures from summer vacation We landed in Juneau knowing that there were only 32 hours left of king crab season. Fish and Game never gives much notice when and how long the season will be open, and it’s been a number of years since the season coincided with our annual Alaska vacation. This year, the…