Are you a parent with an empty nest? Have your children recently gone to university, or moved out of the family home? Some parents enjoy having more space and time to themselves, but it’s not uncommon to struggle when your children fly the nest. If the latter sounds familiar, becoming a foster carer can give you a new sense of purpose and help you to find joy as an empty nester.

How to cope when your children leave home?

It is normal to feel a sense of loss when your children grow up and leave home. Many parents feel grief and struggle to cope with the transition. While it’s common to feel a whole mix of emotions, there are many steps you can take to enjoy this next chapter of your life.

Try something new – Now you have more time on your hands, why not explore a new hobby? You’ve spent years raising your children to adulthood, now is your time to discover new passions and find fun ways to spend your free time.

Set personal goals – Have there been things you wanted to do over the years, but struggled to do so because you’ve put all your time and energy into raising your kids? Now is the time to create new goals and achieve all those things you’ve always wanted to do.

Get support – Keeping busy can help empty nesters to cope, but it can take a long time to learn to enjoy life without children at home. If you’re struggling since your child left for university or moved away, seeking support can help. Making time to connect with other parents whose children have also recently flown the nest can be beneficial for your wellbeing. Counselling and therapy can also be helpful, especially if you’re really struggling to find a purpose now your kids have left home.

Fostering for empty nesters

Some parents try all the advice above and still find life with no children at home difficult. Nurturing, loving, and guiding children into adulthood requires a huge amount of time, energy, and effort; with your own children out of the house, you may realise you miss the hustle and bustle of life with kids more than you expected.

This is where fostering can help.

Becoming a foster carer will bring a new lease of life to your empty nest. Caring for a child in need will give you a new sense of purpose and fill your days with the noise, fun, and challenge you’ve been missing.

And don’t let your age put you off. The average age of foster carers in the UK is 55; you’re not too old to foster, even if your own children are now adults.

If you’re still not sure if fostering is the right path for you, here’s what one of our foster carers has to say about becoming a foster carer after her children left home:

“I wanted to foster for years but chose not to until my own 4 children had grown up and left home. I had become a single parent and made the choice to prioritise my own children because of what they had already been through.  When my youngest left home, it was the right time to move forward with my fostering application. I had the time to dedicate to children who needed help.

I felt there was a bit of a gap in my life when my own children had grown up, the home was empty without children and because the timing felt right, I took the step forward. Most days I am glad I did this. It has given me a purpose and despite the many challenges, it is so rewarding to foster and see the changes in the children I am caring for.

I would encourage anyone feeling that sense of emptiness or a void because their own children have become independent, to make the step forward into fostering”.

Join our team of foster carers

Focus Foster Care is an independent fostering agency, helping children and families across the West Midlands.

If you are looking for a meaningful career and are passionate about making a positive difference to lives of children in need, we want to hear from you.  Our foster carers are dedicated to enhancing and embracing the lives of every child and young person they look after.

Whether you are 21 or 60, if you want to foster then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. There is currently a shortage of foster carers throughout the UK and if you’ve been thinking about fostering for a while, now is the time to apply.

Contact our friendly team today to find out more about foster care in the UK and start your fostering application process.