Empy nest syndrome

[fairysparkle66]

Hi everybody.

My youngest son has recently left home to join the Army on Sunday, and I am really struggling. I have two other children, one of which is soon to leave home and the eldest who lives with his girlfriend.

I am not coping very well with my youngest leaving, and the thought of not seeing him for eight weeks is just awful.

I know he will struggle with home sickness etc, which makes feel worse. He has always wanted to join the Army and has worked hard to get in, and I am very proud of him. I am a single parent and very protective of my boys.

I dont have many friends and the ones I do have, have young children so have not been through this, or I get the comments about people who can wait for their children to leave!

I am so up and down, and I am thinking about him constantly.

Any help or advice?

Thanks

Helen xx

Hiya hope all goes well with your son in the army. I am an 'Army' mum whose sons both left home at 16(altho i do have another at home). Once they finish training they do get substantial amounts of leave so he will soon be flying back and forth to see you. It felt like quite a wrench when they left because they were so young but i never had to put up with them not knowing what to do with their lives or hanging around and some problems that can cause.

You can take satisfaction from the knowledge that you have done a good job by enabling your son to be confident enough to leave home. My sons both went off to Uni and, although they do come back, it is hard at the beginning. It does get a bit easier though. Honestly. Can you write to him?

Thanks for your advice. I know that the first two or three weeks can be tough with basic training, and they can doubt themselves as to why they joined, along with coping with major homesickness. I think I will feel better when he gets through that, as I know he was concerned with those issues. At least at 21 he is a little older, although he has never been away from home before apart from school trips etc.

It must be really hard for my son, a total change of life. At least I have got my job etc to help me.

It was always something I dreaded as my boys were growing up. I guess I am not very good at letting go!!