Kids leaving home

[jamast]

My eldest daughter has finally left home this afternoon. YAAAAAA.
I know that sounds awful, but I thought she'd never go. Bought a flat and got keys last Friday, booked a removals van and went at 3.00pm this afternoon, taking much of my furniture with her (claimed a large sofa fron the front room, an extra wardrobe, chest of drawers, mirrors, pictures, kitchen equipment, curtains, curtain poles, blinds, etc, etc). Have noticed that she's left the cat, dog and rabbit that are supposed to be hers - think she might have seen this as an appropriate 'swap' for the furniture. Love her to bits, but her younger sister left 18 months ago at 18 1/2. Now got an extremely empty , very large attic to decorate - claimed by her 15 year old brother as soon as she left. Which will leave me with a large bedroom to do something with. Tempted to have the walls padded and use as a screaming room - for when stressed. Could be a playroom for grandson. Could be a stuyd for me (turning all Virginia Wolf and craving 'a room of one's own').
Should I be gutted that she's gone or is it appropriate to want to trawl through the cellar and find that bottle of champagne that I know is down there somewhere?

not an unusual reaction,but wait till son goes too,lol my first i cried when she left, my second i was resigned to it, by the third, i had empty nest syndrom,and even with foster kids house is much to quite at times, we all react different

Thanks fostermum. Nice to know that I'm not odd. I felt the same as you when my youngest daughter got her own place - walking past her empty bedroom used to make me feel all weepy - not a normal reaction from me. Then baby Grandson was placed with us by social services almost immediately after his mum left, initially acting as foster parents (underwent all assessments, etc). We now have him on a permanent residency order, so, although not a nice way for it to happen, the empty bedroom was filled again. Planning a big house move next year and seriously considering fostering once settled. Sounds odd, but not sure if my own would feel that I was replacing them.

Jamast, I'm sure you are not alone! In fact, I know you are not because my Mum and Dad were glad when my brothers and I had all gone!!! We are an extremely close family and see each other all the time, very huggy and kissy but we were all old enough to stand on our own two feet and only in their early 50's, my parents were looking forward to the house to themselves!

Yeah, thst's pretty much the way I feel. Absolutely love em all to bits. Talk to each other everyday and always make a point of telling them that I love them. But at the same time, I am glad that they've got their own places. I am starting to worry about the impending mmove to Cornwall next year - both girls are staying up here and are very happy with their decisions. It's me!!! The thought of them being almost four hundred miles away - scares the s**t out of me, even though they are extremely self-sufficent and fully capable of taking care of themselves, I'm scared about leaving them. I keep telling myself that I have another 7-8 months to make sure that they are settled and happy.

my kids get so involved with the fostering,that they dont feel ive replaced them, the s,s always involve them in any decsions about any children that come here.in fact some of them relate better to the kids then we do,if the children have had traumatic times with adults,and i havent had a lad yet that hasnt fallen in love with at least one of my daughters,

my kids and i are in contact daily we always hug and kiss and tell each other we love them,my kids have grown in to friends as well as my babies