It may feel strange to start rearranging your home now that the children are gone.
Some Empty Nesters choose to keep their children’s rooms just the way they left it. This is not really the best idea in the long run. If parents are having a hard time with empty nest issues, keeping the house “just the same” is not moving on. When their teen left home they may of taken their furniture with them. Planning ahead for college may have included portable furniture that can be used in their dorm too. Loft beds are perfect for teens. Moving on has many different forms. Rearranging your house actually shows respect to your children.
The message is not that you are “over” having kids at home, but more like “we are all growing together”.
This is a healthy message for both parents and children.
Making an office out of a bedroom is perfectly natural and usually doesn’t cost very much money. If you need to purchase office furniture that can be a bit pricy, unless you shop carefully. If you are now required to work from home a desk computer, or laptop, office desk and chair are all you need to start the transformation. Most offices are on located on the main floor of the house. It is most conveniently located here.
Offices can be used for place to work, obviously, but also for other activities also.
A nice comfy chair and a bookshelf of various books can be a quiet place to get away from the clangorous sounds of a tv or media room. Zipping off to the office to take a phone call is another idea. If you place a futon or daybed in there, that will keep the option open for overnight guests.
It may feel strange to start rearranging your home now that the children are gone. However, rearranging your house shows respect to your children.
Although it may feel strange, is a very natural thing to do. Your children expect it as well. If you keep their rooms just the same, you may be portraying the message that you still view them as children. In another post we discussed over parenting your grown children. Treating them as fellow adults is showing them the respect that comes with maturity.
Rearranging your house shows respect to your children. The transformation can be made as a family as well.
Involving them in the change can be a fun family project, not to mention the lifting power that is there when there is more than one set of hands. <— side benefit. If furniture has to come downstairs, or even newly delivered, a young back is better than an older one. And the two or more of you together gets the change done at Mach speed.
If you want to make a production out of it, start a dream board.
Magazines are a great source for ideas. Better Homes and
Garden has a newsletter delivered via email and it is crammed packed full of ideas. I enjoy the hints for paint color combinations and upholstery that matches. This may be unnecessary but nice to have if it is within your budget.
Organizing your room is a whole other thing.
Real Simple magazine is my go-to for organizational ideas and most of the shelving ideas can be purchased through Amazon and delivered the next day, or close after. You can purchase your desk and chair, your book shelf, and of course a zillion books. Amazon is a book store after all.
Last but not least, Pinterest is a great resource.
I can while away the hours just pursuing Pinterest for home hints, crafting hints, and sewing hints. Design Seeds is my favorite place for beautiful color combinations. I will give you a link to my Pinterest board so you can enjoy them too.
It may feel strange to start rearranging your home now that the children are gone. But, rearranging your house shows respect to your children.
But it is perfectly natural and can even be a fun family event. Communication is key to keeping the event from being misunderstood. Emotions can run high if the feeling is that parents are trying to “move on” from the children. This is in fact not the case, but is an act of respect. Your children are growing up and your house can change to reflect that.
Every great project requires some great planning. I have a free printable planning sheet in two different styles. I hope one or both of them fit your needs.
You can download the set HERE
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