Anonymous wrote:We fly tomorrow to take our one and only to college 3k miles from home. My husband lost it this morning while making him breakfast. I've been doing the crazy busy bee routine knowing that the minute I take a break I am a goner.

I found this piece from Rob Loew very sweet- it is hard but so right. We did our jobs!
https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/05/rob-lowe-on-sending-his-son-off-to-college-an-excerpt-from-love-life.html

Omg pp! Thank you for posting this.

Well, get out of his room! Problem solved.

We fly tomorrow to take our one and only to college 3k miles from home. My husband lost it this morning while making him breakfast. I've been doing the crazy busy bee routine knowing that the minute I take a break I am a goner.

I found this piece from Rob Loew very sweet- it is hard but so right. We did our jobs!
https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/05/rob-lowe-on-sending-his-son-off-to-college-an-excerpt-from-love-life.html

I get it op. I’m a divorced mom with an only child, and sending him away to college left an enormous void that no amount of new hobbies and brunches with dear friends can ever fill.

Came here to assure you that it will get better. ❤️‍🩹

Anonymous wrote:Healthy birds leave the nest.

Amen to this.

Obviously it feels bad going into his room, but if he STAYED home, you'd really have something to cry about.

Also, don't look around his room too much.

I’m a single mom and i dropped off my one and only last week. It’s not easy and I haven’t yet had my big ugly cry. But kid is happy!!!

Anonymous wrote:This was me when I dropped my oldest off half way across the country a few years ago. I saw his room when I got home and cried and cried. Which is unusual for me. Then I realized that night that I actually had Covid, which explained a lot.

Anyway I am about to drop my middle off tomorrow and pretty blase. The sadness is about us, not them.

Or PMS, or perimenopause, or other known mood swingers.

It's going to be alright, OP! My college kid is abroad. I felt all strange the day he took the plane, and didn't sleep much that night. Big hugs to all sorrowful parents out there.

Healthy birds leave the nest.

You did your job. Don't be sad.

This was me when I dropped my oldest off half way across the country a few years ago. I saw his room when I got home and cried and cried. Which is unusual for me. Then I realized that night that I actually had Covid, which explained a lot.

Anyway I am about to drop my middle off tomorrow and pretty blase. The sadness is about us, not them.

It’s so hard. I sobbed too. You’re far from alone, if it’s any comfort.

Sending you ❤️. It is hard. A co-worker shared in email that they would be off a few days ago to take first child to kindergarten and that they’d be at home crying after. I empathized but college felt harder bc it is in so many ways.

You’ll hear this over and over but hang in there, celebrate your child and you for getting them there, etc and yes, the pain will diminish but never completely go away bc life, routines, family dynamics etc have changed. ❤️

OP, develop a mantra. And anytime a sad thought about it creeps in, replace it with your (positive) mantra. A few sentences. Use them consistently. Make it an automatic counter-response.

Such as, "he's doing important work and is making new friends."

It can be very sad. Do you have other kids at home? Do something fun this weekend. Are you planning to visit?
We have a high school senior, college senior and a college graduate. The first was the hardest so far but we have really enjoyed visiting, going to football and basketball games, and meeting their friends.
It does get better. Hang in there.

I’m happy for him and I know it has to be, but I was just in his room at home and started sobbing.