Whilst some families are bustling with new babies, growing kids and all the chaos that includes, for others this is a time of reflection and slowing down as the older kids are settled into university or setting off to find their own lives. But empty nesting is not what it used to be.

Once upon a time our children lived at home until marriage when they then moved out into the new marital home and began domestic lives of their own. As parents we knew where they were, who they were with and quite often we had a key!

Nattering over a cup of tea and the latest gossip

Sundays were sacrosanct for lunch with ‘mum and dad’ and midweek suppers were accompanied by a load of washing or the car needing a bit of a tinker. Cue dad and son/son in law up to their ears in grease and oil for an afternoon whilst mum and daughter/daughter in law nattered in the kitchen over a cup of tea and the latest local gossip!

These days our kids are more likely to leave haphazardly as they ‘stay’ with partners over-night – or for weeks at a time – maybe going travelling for six months before returning to take up residence again and dive headlong into a ‘just for now’ job whilst saving up for the next great adventure.

But what of the parents left behind? We now live in a weird kind of limbo where we are not needed on a daily basis, yet cannot yet take our eye off the ball, sell up and take ourselves off on a round the world cruise!

Our previously hectic schedules, now clear of the demands of the constant taxiing of teens or playing maidservant to hordes of kids on a weekend sleepover, leave us free to explore adventures of our own, albeit closer to home.

Many parents are taking up new hobbies. Photography is highly popular, with Instagram offering the option to travel to ‘meets’ and take fabulous pictures of the most beautiful parts of Britain and Europe.

Parents repatriate the now ‘spare room’

Art and writing are on the uptake as parents everywhere repatriate the now ‘spare room’ into a studio for painting or finally writing those memoirs.

Volunteering is always a winner and can replace a little of the lost sense of feeling needed that we all experience as the kids move on with their lives.

Personally I have rediscovered my love of performance and joined a local Improv Comedy Group. We meet weekly to develop our improv skills and many members report enjoying a massive confidence boost and are making new lifelong friends.

Oh, and there is nothing like making people laugh to remind yourself that, regardless of what your kids might say – you ARE funny!