I have friends who will be empty nesters at 50 and I don’t envy them at all. I personally do not feel ready. A lot is your peer group too. If everyone you are close to is still working and raising kids, not sure how great it is to be a retired empty nester.

My dad also retired too early and he ultimately really didn’t have enough money in his later years. He was constantly fretting about it. He and my mother just got under each other’s skin for 20 years and it got worse and worse over time.

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to read everyone's thoughts. I don't think you have that much control over when you have kids - I married late, had kids late, and so still have kids at home even though we are both mid/late 50's. And yes we are older than other parents and have a different perspective as a result. But would not change a thing! No plans to retire at this point, but wouldn't mind switching jobs to mix things up a bit.

Same here!

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 - it is an odd place to be - have money - kids are gone although close. Me I want to party - and go to Mass - if that makes sense. Want to go on a safari - venice etc. parts still work and all - but lower back knees et all starting to suffer. Mostly I fear being in a hospice - just shoot me between the eyes. Who wants to party with me as empty nesters?

Why are you worried about hospice now? That should be 30 years from now.

I am 55 - it is an odd place to be - have money - kids are gone although close. Me I want to party - and go to Mass - if that makes sense. Want to go on a safari - venice etc. parts still work and all - but lower back knees et all starting to suffer. Mostly I fear being in a hospice - just shoot me between the eyes. Who wants to party with me as empty nesters?

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 in a couple months. I have two teenagers, 15 & 16 and I'm also terminally ill. I would be devastated if I still had toddlers.

I'm so sorry PP.

I am 55 in a couple months. I have two teenagers, 15 & 16 and I'm also terminally ill. I would be devastated if I still had toddlers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am also wary of long retirement. People tend to age quickly once out of the workforce

Don't know how true this is. Quite a bit of anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

My executive FIL " retired" when his mental faculties began to make his work performance suffer. This was in his early fifties. You cannot know if it was correlation or causation.

Interesting to read everyone's thoughts. I don't think you have that much control over when you have kids - I married late, had kids late, and so still have kids at home even though we are both mid/late 50's. And yes we are older than other parents and have a different perspective as a result. But would not change a thing! No plans to retire at this point, but wouldn't mind switching jobs to mix things up a bit.

Mom is in hospice in Maryland in her home.

Her visiting hospice RN this week was an RN in her 80's.
I asked how long she had worked for hospice and she said for 5 years but that she had been an RN forever.