Hi all, I am Jodi, a mom of two and an empty nester!

I have two ideas to offer the mom who is feeling that void left behind when her kids leave the nest. If you are feeling a bit sad and lost and, if like me and most of my fellow moms who have been through this already, you find yourself pacing around your house not knowing what to do with the quiet and new space left behind, then read on. I know this will help!

Both suggestions have to do with Daring! Daring to create space for yourself and Daring to Decide that Empty Nest is not just the end of something, rather, it can mark the beginning of new and fun adventure for all!

The first suggestion, which can really help with the void and quiet left behind in the home, is for is to create a "new normal." Yup, dare to change things up a bit. Maybe it's changing dinner time rituals, maybe it's going out for a walk at 5pm instead of the usual prep for dinner, maybe it's reading or meditating in the morning now that you don't have to drag your teen out of bed. Whatever it is for you, I have found, through my own experience, that changing just one habit or ritual, was all it took to help me move through the void, loss and sadness I felt when my kids left the nest. I hope this helps. (what worked for me: when my oldest left, and knowing my husband traveled quite a bit, my son and I decided to change up our dinner routine. Instead of the two of us eating our dinner in five minutes at the table, we decided to move our dinner time into the family room and watch a show together! This allowed for dinner time together, a fun show to experience and discuss, and I was not sitting staring at the empty seat my daughter left behind!)

The next piece of advice is to Dare yourself to do something new. This blog post says it all. Inspired by Lu Ann Cahn and her book I Dare Me, I have dared myself and hundreds of my fellow moms to make space for themselves and discover things they want to experience now that they have the time! Click here and read Lu Ann's blog. I hope it helps.

Dare on!

Jodi