Photograph: Ian Canham/Alamy
Lockdown has left parents struggling to cope with the wrench of an empty nest, a survey has found. Nine in 10 parents say they suffered ‘extreme grief’ after their teenagers left home for university this year.
The poll of 1,000 parents found fathers are feeling the loss more acutely than mothers. Many parents say they have experienced physical symptoms of loss, have started drinking more or fear marriage breakdown.
We’d like to hear from parents whose children have recently moved out of home for the first time. Did you get closer to your teenager during lockdown and has that extra intimacy made their leaving home worse for you? What are you doing to cope?
Or is it a relief to wave your child off after having them around so much over the pandemic?
We’re particularly keen to hear from fathers whose relationships with their teenage child changed during lockdown.
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