<p>I did my first two years at a local CC and now I'm transferring to UT, and anytime I bring up apartment hunting or anything relating to me moving out, my mom gets kinda sad!</p>
<p>I feel bad but obviously I'm also excited to start something new.</p>
<p>Parents how'd you feel when your kid moved out? </p>
<p>Sad for me, happy for my son. I still miss him like crazy (he’s a sophomore and attends college across the country), but he seems to be where he belongs and is happy, so I’ll go with it. :-)</p>
<p>Thrilled for him - happy for me to have raised him well - sad that a window was closing on a magical period of time that defined his childhood with me as mommy in that precious bubble that only lasts for so long before you realize it’s time to let go, gracefully, and be thankful for all that’s transpired as well as what we have to look forward to in a very new perspective as my son steps firmly into adulthood, and I am forevermore - Mom/Mother, but never mommy again. </p>
<p>I think @mondut has expressed it well! I’m going through it right now with my kid, though moving just an hour and a half away, I am SO excited for the kid and will miss her immensely! </p>
<p>When my daughter left for school I did my best to do all the shopping, packing and planning with her and be upbeat, however, when she left, we missed her terribly. We eventually got used to being without her, but we still miss her. As parents we looked forward to her going off to college, and this is a step forward in life. Yet it is hard not to miss the times when we were all together, and I know that many people feel the same way. I am sure your parents are happy for you, but it is going to be a bit sad for them. Best of luck to you, and now your mom will have to find other interests on a day to day basis.</p>
<p>A little sad but relieved because clearly she was ready for a bit more independence.</p>
<p>I found moving into an apartment to be a really different experience than moving into a dorm. Dorms close for breaks and the kid comes “home,” (sometimes for long enough to make you want him or her gone again). Once there’s an apartment, they really do have a home of their own.</p>
<p>Sad, but sadder when he had to move back home. There’s a good chance he might not leave again. :(</p>
<p>With D1, I used to tear up just thinking about it the summer before she left home. After she left, I would lie in her bed every once in a while or just sit in her room. But she was so happy in school that it was worth it. With D2 I was better prepared. I still miss them, but I am very proud of them. As long as they are happy that’s what matters.</p>
<p>OP - it is going to be very exciting for you. It is normal for your mom to feel a bit sad, but she will be fun, just like all of us. Remember to call her and share your achievements with her.</p>
<p>When S1 left in 2010, I didn’t really get too weepy. It was more like a “hole in my heart” feeling. With S2 leaving this year, though, it’s more upsetting - “hands-on” motherhood is drawing to a close and it’s hard. </p>
<p>A dad here. </p>
<p>Initially: Happy for them, sad for us.
Eventually: I’m married to a hot woman and we have the house all to ourselves! => Happy for us too!</p>
<p>^ LOL, that’s hysterical, and a perspective that the kids won’t have considered. </p>
<p>my nephew dropped out of college and is living with my sister and brother in law. he’s 23. see if your Mom would like that option …</p>
<p>Sad at first , but when I saw what a maturing influence it was for him to be far from home, I realized that it was the right thing. </p>
<p>ha, ha, good reply, rumrunner.</p>
<p>It’s a transitional time when your child goes off to college. I was happy my son (and only child) had this opportunity to go to college because his dad & I did not have that. On the other hand, I’d received a devastating medical diagnosis earlier in the year, and that colored our lives and made everything feel less secure and less certain. I felt anxiety. I wondered, “Gosh, have I taught him the right things? Why did I spend so much time having him do such-and-such and why didn’t I ever teach him blah-blah-blah?” </p>
<p>Maybe take baby steps with your mom. Include her in as much of the transition as you feel comfortable with. </p>
<p>I’ll leave with this story, similar to rumrunner’s. My neighbor’s daughter was leaving for college in the fall. The neighbor took daily walks in the summer and when I saw her, she’d be all depressed: “Lisa is leaving for school in the fall, I’m so sad…”. Well, then Lisa went to school in the fall and within two weeks, Neighbor and hubby were out and about having a great time, enjoying the empty nest. Then Lisa flunked out her first semester, and decided to move back home and when I saw Neighbor, she was like, “Lisa is home from school, I’m so sad…” </p>
<p>That is a very considerate questions so I can see why you mom is sorry that you will be moving away. It is bittersweet for a parent. Be patient with your mom but make sure you do what you have to do in terms of securing housing in a timely manner. You can remind her that she raised you well, that you have your priorities in order and feel ready for this next step, and that you will always love her, and there are a lot of school vacations when you will be back home.</p>
<p>Personally, I was helped a lot by remembering how excited and how ready I felt when it was time for me to go away to college and knowing that my kids were starting out on that same journey. Now while we are thrilled when the kids are home, my H and I did get used to our “freedom” and a quiet house.</p>
<p>Congratulations on UT and all the best.</p>
<p>Like the rest: excited for him, sad for me. I, too, remembered how I felt when I left home, so I knew how he felt. </p>
<p>I tried very hard to let him be for the first six weeks. Weekly phone call. No visits. Texting more often than that, but to obtain info or to share a short observation or a small bit of news. My husband was dying. He was desperate to go visit after the first week! </p>
<p>Funny thing is I had more trouble at the end of the year. I have been missing son more the last few weeks than I did in the fall. </p>
<p>You are a considerate kid to be thinking of your folks and noticing their moods. To ease their transition, do plan on calling them once or twice a week and sending little text messages with clever observations. Can they come up for a parents’ weekend? Or to see you play a game or concert or celebrate something? Maybe that will give them something to look forward to. I was thrilled to go visit my son six weeks in. He was able to show me around, where he ate, his friends, etc. </p>
<p>I found the summer before college to be a tough time. It was when I was a kid, it was for my son. The kids have one foot out the door, the parents are clinging to the old way. </p>