Getting To Know Each Other After The Kids Move Out

By Author: Gareth Hoyle
Total Articles: 692
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When the last child moves out of the family home things can feel distant between some couples. Losing touch with a partner in this time of life - often called the empty nest stage - can be caused by years of focussing on your children, and after they move out some parents find that they are left with a gap in their life.

For many people these feelings settle down after a year or so, as both parents get used to having more free time and the house to themselves. Many couples report that life after full time parenting gives them more time to take up new hobbies, perhaps renew old ones and enjoy each other's company more than was possible before.

For others, a little more work may be required to rediscover each other and adjust to this new phase in the relationship. A good place to start is by discussing your feelings with your partner in a non-demanding way. Why not try a light-hearted quiz, designed to find out the things in life your partner enjoys and why. What are their ambitions and hopes for the future? Are there any other questions relevant to your relationship that you'd like to discuss?
Couples could ...
... get chatting about the experiences and shared ambitions they had earlier in their relationship. Is there a way that these experiences could be realistically relived now you have more time to each other?

With no children in the house, many couples relish in the opportunity to enjoy more spontaneous and interesting sex. You can now devote whole evenings, mornings or afternoons to love making if you wish! To get new ideas, try investing in a good quality sex book. You could surprise your partner with something new, or choose something from the book you'd both like to try.

If you'd like to discuss more, or you feel you and your partner could benefit from some marriage counselling , there are organisations in the UK who offer these services free of charge. Take a look at the Relate for Parents website for more information.