Empty nest syndrome can be quite depressing for parents who have kids going off to school for the first time. But melancholy moms and dads can now rejoice. When your child leaves for college, you can renovate his/her room and turn it into your own private sanctuary or workshop.
It's not as drastic
as it sounds. No, you won't actually
kick them out of their room permanently, but you will free up a good deal of
space to use while your children are away.
Before you begin,
discuss your plans with your children. Ask
them what they want to keep. Obviously,
their bed will need to stay for when they are home on weekends and
holidays. A chest of drawers will most
likely also stay for storing some of their clothes. But use this time as a sort
of spring-cleaning to get rid of meaningless junk that has accumulated in
closets or under beds over the last 18 years.
Allow your child to keep whatever s/he feels important and then donate
the rest to charity, if possible.
Now comes the fun
part... to make a room of your own.
Where a desk used to be, a new sewing table can be placed. Where the Game Boy and DVD were stored can
now become a mini-library. The beanbag
chair can be replaced with a comfortable wing chair. The possibilities are endless.
If you want a home
office, look into self-contained office units like those from IKEA, West Elm,
Levenger or Hold Everything. They can lend a great deal of flexibility without
taking up a lot of floor space, and options are endless for any budget.
Colours are often
one of the touchy points. What
decorations go on the walls is another.
Here, it is important to come to an agreement with your post-teen. You
will see, after freshman year, that the attachment to the old posters will
fade. Maybe you can each choose walls
and decorate them in the ways that you like.
Just position your writing desk or sewing machine so that your back is
toward the walls your child has decorated.
With a little work
and some creativity, you can make good use of the otherwise empty space left
behind by college-bound kids. Then you
can immerse yourself in your newfound playroom - and freedom - to help lift
your spirits.
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