Children flown the nest?
So what’s a person or couple to do when the last little chick leaves the nest? You could do what some people have done and write a blog about your adventures (a few are included in this list even!) or start working diligently on that bucket list. You can meet up with other empty nesters, spend more time traveling or a host of other things. The following ten websites will give you some insight into this inevitable time of a parent’s life. They are listed in order of their Alexa traffic count rating.
1. Empty Nest Meetup Groups: http://emptynest.meetup.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 306
Meetup is an amazing tool for socialization as it helps you locate people in your community that share your passion, hobby or interest. With the supplied link you can find groups for your area that are specifically empty nest meetup groups or use the find a group feature to locate any type of group you like. As you find new interests you want to explore during your empty nest years, you can find even more people. A great site for anyone at any age that needs a bit of help meeting people.
Global Alexa Rating: 2,033
Not everyone faces empty nest as a time of fun change. For some it is a very difficult time and this article addresses strategies for overcoming the rough parts of the transition. There are also links to other articles on the subject which are equally as informative. If the articles don’t help and you are still having difficulty coping with being an empty nester, then you can use the site’s Find a Therapist feature to get professional assistance.
3. The Gypsy Nester: http://www.gypsynester.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 77,115
The tagline of this site is, “Breaking the Empty Nest Rules” and it is obvious that this couple found an amazing way to handle their empty nest. They chose to wander the globe being gypsy-nesters instead of empty nesters. They have also written a book, “Going Gypsy, One Couple’s Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All” which is set to be published February 5, 2015. The humor of their articles is refreshing and covers all sorts of tales from the road including from Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, Canada, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Global Alexa Rating: 102,659
The Better After 50 site, also referred to as BA50, is full of real stores from real women on all types of subjects for those 50 years of age and beyond. The link provided is to an informative article entitled, “Eight Ideas for Adding Fulfillment to the Empty Nest.” The article offers eight very helpful suggestions for not just surviving those inevitable years but actually thriving as you enter a time that can be filled with new adventures. Be sure to check out some of the other topics on this website.
5. Adventures of Empty Nesters: http://adventuresofemptynesters.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 594,151
This website was created to bring together a community of empty nesters. The main three categories are travel, restaurants & food and health & fitness, but you’ll find plenty of fun articles on plenty of other topics as well. They also invite you to share your story about your latest adventure. You can also sign up to receive new stories via email.
6. First 30 Days – Your Empty Nest: http://www.first30days.com/your-empty-nest
Global Alexa Rating: 828,151
The First 30 Days website is about gaining inspiration and expert advice for any change in your life. The section about empty nest is very informative with tips for filling your empty nest. They also offer 30 tips, although you can only read the first 5 unless you sign up as a member. Being a member has a number of other benefits as well, however, including free newsletters and being part of a community. The site also includes tips for a wide variety of life events such as buying or selling a home, getting in shape, pursuing your dreams, moving to a new city and starting a new business which are all things that can also be part of this time of your life.
7. Life After Empty Nest: http://www.lifeafteremptynest.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 4,144,085
You will find this blog interesting as Sharon shares with us her life after empty nest experiences. She offers tips and information about such topics as cooking, DIY, home renovations, backyard beauty, organizing, saving money and more. You can also sign up for her newsletter. It is always fun to read about someone else and how they are handling a similar situation, both for inspiration and ideas.
8. Mama’s Empty Nest: http://www.mamasemptynest.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 6,371,578
Blogs by other empty nesters are a great way to see the fun that can be had as an empty nester and that can lead to a shift in your way of thinking that can get you through this transition. On this blog site, the articles are categorized into bucket list, faith & family, food & home, home, musings and travel & entertainment. As the mother of 5 grown and flown daughters, Theresa shares her journey from chaos to quiet, and she warns you, “Don’t count your chicks until they’ve flown the nest!”
9. Empty Nest Magazine: www.emptynestmag.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 8,226,289
Empty Nest Magazine is a magazine for “mature” families. It began as an idea for a final project in a magazine publishing class at Rosemont College in 2004 and is now in its eighth year as a published e-zine. All the issues are available in the archives section. Each year there are 4 new issues posted. You can subscribe for free, but they do accept donations. Be sure to check out the two links on the left side to blog sites, “Carpe Diem” and “Senior InSights.”
10. Empty Nesters Travel: http://emptynesterstravel.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 15,138,417
Being able to do more traveling is something that many empty nesters, especially those into retirement years, particularly enjoy. What can even make it better is to maximize your money by accumulating points and miles quickly and taking advantage of discounts. This website will help you to do that. You will learn about sales, specials and even contests that can help you travel for much cheaper than you might think possible. There are also informative articles on the site.
It can be difficult to transition from being a child’s supervisor to being just a spectator, and it always seems to happen far quicker than you saw coming. It is understandable then that this time can be difficult for some parents to make. Hopefully with the advice and resources you find on these ten websites, you can embrace this new chapter in your life.
