Just like nobody tells you what it’s really like having a baby, no one tells you that you will feel like a limb is missing when your first child goes to college. : …( (Like my fancy emoticon? They showed it to us yesterday at the “Let Your Kid Go” speech, haha!)
Any words of wisdom appreciated.
God created teenagers so that parents won’t miss them when they go to college. Wasn’t yours a teenager enough? 
Here is a whole thread:
Try having twins The house goes from busy to totally quiet!
Seriously, this will put it in perspective: I have a friend who is moving triplets to schools in Maine, Louisiana and California all in the space of one week.
My nest isn’t empty @thumper1 , one of the chicks flew off:-) But I will check it out, thanks!
@SculptorDad , yeah, but all is forgiven!
My cousin moved triplets to college…one in Massachusetts, one in CA, and one in KS. They live in Texas!
I don’t know how they did it!!
I miss my kids but I don’t miss the “stuff”.
You will get used to the “new normal” pretty soon! Now you can turn your attention to the child or children still at home, much to their chagrin.
@suzy100 , I see from your avatar why you got over it! Haha!
I helped 2 of my 3 move in this weekend. Yes, there is a feeling of loss but there is this modern communications device called ‘texting’ that fills the void. Ding, and it is like they are up in their bedrooms and not 3,000 miles away.
My daughters are 25 and 23 and I still feel as though my life is incomplete and will never be whole again. They live in the same city, 1,000 miles from me, and are doing great. I keep busy with work and a few activities (reading, TV, the dog) but I still miss being a “full-time” mom. But what’s the alternative?
@Oregon2016 , not so very long ago, I was soooo anti-texting. Now I think it might be better than, well, you know…sliced bread.
Skype is even better!
When my oldest first went away for schooling, it took a long time for me not to immediately pull 4 dinner plates out of the cupboard instead of 3 and to cut back on buying some of the foods that she predominately ate. There are lots of little reminders that make the adjustment process challenging.
@doschicos she left yesterday. And this morning, I cried because I realized she wouldn’t be drinking her tea, and tonight I cried because I had to put out one less plate. Then my super-monstrous hubby said I made too much food! The beast! (Even though he and my perpetually-hungry son will eat all the leftovers tomorrow. Men!
@Lindagaf – this article will probably make you cry again, but I think the author nailed it (or at least, nailed how I felft when my son left for school).
@Lindagaf agreed on texting. What I’m remembering after leaving D2 at my alma mater was the land line in the dorm room so my parents could call me Sunday morning only to hear from my roommate that I was “doing laundry” or “at the library.” I appreciate now that they didn’t call campus police to retrieve me from my boyfriend’s room. Texting would have helped back then.
What no one tells you is that you go through the separation process and attendant feelings of loss all over again when they go back to school after breaks. My D isn’t a first-year student but I still felt down for a few days after she returned to school this past week. It does get better, of course, but it’s definitely not a one-time thing.
@CT1417 , beautiful, but my face is wet…again!
@Lindagaf – my older son is a Jr but it still gets me! Will be worse next year when I send the youngest one off. Best not to think of that quite yet.
As others have posted, you do get used to the new ‘normal’, but each break mixes things up again.
@Oregon2016 , your comment about the landline is hilarious because my D and her room mate completely ignored the ancient landline phone provide in their dorm room. Does any teen use them nowadays?