Advise for parent who's child off to Uni

[simplelife100]

My DS will be heading off to uni in September his my oldest and it suddenly hit me today that he will be leaving home, as much as I think it's what he needs to spread his wings and learn about the real world, I'm going to miss him I've mothered him and will really miss our chats and he always makes me laugh.
Any tips or advice from parents that have already been throw this

You can still chat with them when they are at University.
In fact, I think I chat with mine more when they are away than when they are home.
It's not like back in the day when you had to queue up for the single phone in your halls, to phone your mother on a Sunday afternoon.

I think what helps is I don't interrogate them about things, we tend to chat about silly things, just family in jokes sort of thing. Or we'll both be watching the same match and having a conversation about it on whatsapp at the same time. We've got different WhatsApp groups too, which means they dip in and out but remain in touch (house family / extended family on my side / on dh's side / they each have one individually with me and also all have a sort of "Parents and the favourite child" group with just them and me and dh. I also know they have a siblings one, and then there is an 'all the cousins' one which I'm not in.

Its scary but it will adjust, this will be me next year!

This is me! Been me and my daughter home together for the last 18 months, my DS is in Australia probably for another 18 months at least,

I am dreading her going - l know l will be lonely, a recent relationship that l thought had potential has ended badly and frankly the future terrifies me. I know l have to be strong and excited for her but it’s so hard.

@friendlymum67 maybe you can make some time for yourself catch up with friends, fortunately for me I still have 2 at home so they will keep me busy, but yesterday I was very emotional thinking about him leaving and joked with him to call me every day lol the only thing I won't miss is the shouting down the x box of a night time but I guess to start with I will miss that,

I have two DC and when the first went away to uni it was quite emotional, I did feel sad in a way but equally delighted that he was happy.
It gave me more time for the younger one.
Communication wise you find a way that works.
DS would message quite a lot at first, also lots of cooking / food related questions.
We settled into a pattern of perhaps a message every day and a phone or video call once a week. DS2 hated video calls so used to ring.

Then no sooner have you got used to it than they come home for 4 weeks at Christmas. You settle back into the old routine and then they go again.
Repeat for three years.

The hardest bit was when the other one went to uni and I did feel quite bereft for a while though I never let them know.

They both came back to live at home for about a year after graduating and now both live in their own places. As it happens they have both been home this week for a day or two and they still come on holiday with us sometimes.
You do eventually come to enjoy the peace and lack of mess while feeling nostalgic for the childhood years.

@FizziWater thank you I think cos this is my first oldest child going off I will find it up setting but for me really I know he will have a fantastic time and he does need to experience the real world without mum there, I have a 15yr and 1yr old so lot of my time is taken up by my youngest.
I just know the day I take him to uni and I walk out that building I will be crying my eyes out