And Then There was One…
By Carmen Glenn
“How’s it going with only one kid left at home?” I have been asked this many times this Fall by friends and family now that my oldest two are away in college. How am I dealing with only one child left at home? Does that child like being the only? How are my husband and I adjusting? Is your house really quiet? The truth is, it’s another phase of life that brings change.
It is no doubt strange to go from having multiple children living at home every day this past summer to only one. The other thing that has compounded the change is that my youngest left at home also has his license now. My husband and I have spent many hours of our lives driving our children to practices. Now that my youngest drives, we have been relieved of that duty. Our weekday evenings have opened up and we find ourselves at home most evenings by ourselves. This has given us time to pick up new hobbies (not that I have yet, but I’m sure that will come, maybe, at some point) or take walks together (which we have). I’m looking at this as a peek into what our lives will look like as empty nesters. I definitely feel the need to find some hobbies or activities that will keep me involved and engaged when we no longer have any kids at home. I look at it as a positive. We spent the last 20 years putting the kids first and it’s slowly, as each kid leaves, becoming time to put ourselves first.
Cooking for only three people has thrown me for a bit of a loop. We’re not big on leftovers, so I try my best to minimize those. However, eyeballing the right amount of ingredients to produce a meal for three is challenging for me right now. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually and then have to revert back when everyone is home for the holidays!
One thing that I was hoping would improve is my grocery bill. I thought for sure only feeding one growing teenage boy would be cheaper than three. However, with prices going up, it feels like our food expenses are not going down. Every time I get to the register, I think this is the week for me to notice some savings. It hasn’t happened yet!
I don’t think being the only child at home has phased my youngest much. He’s doing his thing with school and sports. I’m trying to keep up with everything we did when the other two were in high school. I don’t want to sell him short because he’s the youngest and the only child home now. It is a noticeable balance of not smothering him because he’s the only one here and still engaging him in conversation and activities. This phase is different, but it is fun. The extra time I have now is well earned and I get to enjoy a few more homemade cookies before the container is empty with a few crumbs.
Has your home dynamic changed as kids have left for college? Feel free to share any tips or advice by emailing me at dtownctc@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!