When my youngest left for college in August, she played the Dixie Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces” for me. It sends a perfect message on how it feels for your child to leave home (“Then There Were None,” Nov. 14). Now that I have three children away at college I can say:
You can clean a junk drawer. (Their room becomes a shrine.)
No more curfew watching. (You worry they are staying out all night.)
Your grocery bill goes down. (Eating-out budget goes up.)
Less wash. (Sole responsibility for care of dog.)
Days are freer. (Nights are longer.)
You are able to get incoming calls. (Your calls are from telemarketers.)
More time for my husband and me. (More time to miss the noise, the action and the love that three children bring to a home — but how proud we are of the young adults they have become.)
— Carol Braun, Oak Lawn
When we took our youngest daughter to college last fall, I thought I had cried every tear possible, until a few days later. I opened the refrigerator door and, for the first time in 28 years, there was no milk. The fact that no one required it any more sent me into another crying jag.
But we now have a daughter-in-law, two new sons-in-law, and next spring will be grandparents for the first time. So the house is bound to be noisy again.
— Linda Braun, Wheaton
Our three children were born within three years, so maybe that is why I was not affected, other than misty eyes, when they left for kindergarten — or even college. In fact, I rejoiced that they were growing and going on to bigger and better adventures.
But when we took our oldest to the State University of New York at Stoney Brook to begin a PhD program, then it hit me that this was the end of the road for our parenting, and those precious years as a family could never be recovered. I found myself sobbing, crying my heart out.
— Jeanne Vaver, Sheridan
SWEET SLEEP
I have two kids, ages 3 and 1. After a long day of dirty diapers, tears of hunger, frustration or anger, spilled milk, sibling rivalry, potty training and all the other ways kids drive their parents crazy, there is no great sleep debate (Oct. 31) for me.
The best part of the day is sitting in the rocking chair when everything is quiet, holding a sleeping baby. The sound of her breath in my ear and the feel of her fuzzy little head on my cheek make it all worthwhile. It would be no fun to put her in her crib to fall asleep alone.
— Doris Lorr, Glenview
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UP NEXT
Has a relative ever exhibited boorish behavior in front of your children? How did you handle it?
BACKGROUND: Parents brave enough to risk a family conflict often find that their relatives either ignore or belittle their requests for more appropriate behavior. In today’s Family section, experts offer advice on how to handle these situations.
Send your response to Chicago Tribune Family section, 5th Floor Features, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60611, or e-mail us at ctc-family@tribune.com.
