September is traditionally the time of year when many young people go to university or college, often leaving parents and carers facing an “empty nest”. But an empty nest doesn’t just mean a quiet home. Sometimes for the older generation there are also difficult questions about the next phase of their life.
The term “empty nest” was popularised by US author and activist Dorothy Canfield Fisher in her 1914 book Mothers and Children. It described the emotional challenges mothers experienced when their children left home. By the 1970s, the concept of “empty nest syndrome”, had developed. This referred to more severe symptoms including depression, loneliness and loss of self-confidence.
