- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- moms today articles
- moms today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
All Alone
When Your Only Child Leaves Home By Gwen Morrison
Kirby, who never stayed away overnight in all the years she was raising her child, felt a sudden sense of liberating freedom when her daughter moved out. "I miss her presence, but I don't miss the responsibility as much as I thought I would," she says. "I did my job – she's a beautiful girl, and now it's my turn."
Like Kirby, many parents who are raising only children are well prepared for the day when they move out on their own. It's simply a rite of passage to them.
"Most only children have close relationships with their parents," says Coleman. "This closeness will last as the child matures into an adult."
Healthy Transitions
Often, it is equally difficult for the child to adjust to the idea of leaving their parents alone, but that depends on how the departure is handled by the parents. "For some only children, there are issues of obligation and desertion to worry about," says Carl Pickhardt, Ph.D., an author and psychologist in private counseling and lecturing practice in Austin, Texas. "If parents call in the obligation at this point by playing the guilt card, departure canbe very hard for the child."
