Empty Nest: How to Cope When Your Teen Goes off to College or University. Vintage

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In this episode of Teenagers Untangled, we’re talking about what happens when the children we’ve poured our hearts, time, and energy into finally leave home. If you’re facing the prospect of a child heading off to university or moving out—and feeling anything from pride and excitement to grief, anxiety, or a loss of identity—this episode is for you.

First, I revisit a powerful conversation with mindfulness coach Susie Asli, where we unpack empty nest syndrome:

• why feelings of grief, loneliness, or even physical symptoms like sleeplessness and nausea are a normal response,
• how your identity as a parent can feel shaken when your child leaves,
• and practical ways to prepare yourself emotionally, rebuild routines, and reconnect—with yourself, with your partner, and with your wider life.

Then I speak with Hannah Bankier, a coach specialising in personal and professional transitions and founder of Birdie Launcher. Hannah invites us to rethink the very idea of an “empty nest” and instead see this stage as a launchpad—for our children and for ourselves. She shares:

• how to start preparing years before your child leaves,
• how to evolve your parenting from “controller” to “mentor,”
• how to co-create a new kind of relationship with your emerging adult,
• and how to rediscover your own purpose, joy, and identity beyond being “Mum.”

You're not broken if you're feeling grief. You're ready to start a new chapter.

Hannah Bankier

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