What is an empty nester?
Lately, I hear my friends use that term often. A. According to the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, an empty nester is a parent whose child has reached adulthood and moved away from home. This term has been used frequently to describe those parents whose last child is off to college, leaving the household empty. Some parents feel a huge void in the household and find it difficult to adjust to their childs absence. In any case, parents need to learn to let go and enjoy being parents to an adult child. When parents understand the college transition process, communicating with their children as adults will smooth the way to a new phase of the relationship. Many Hispanic/Latino students report family support as a major factor in their success in college. As one student said What motivated me the most to move onto college were my parents. . .they never stopped reminding me of how crucial an education is to a stable future. . .
