How ‘The Pioneer Woman’ Ree Drummond Can Survive Empty Nest Life According to Our Experts
The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond has been posting on social media about her experience as a new empty nester. She’s trying to handle everything with humor, but it seems like it has been challenging for her and Ladd to adjust to an empty house.
“For many parents, the transition to an empty nest can be difficult,” Kalley Hartman, the clinical director at Newport Beach, California-based Ocean Recovery tells Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “It is a major life change that requires adjustments and shifts in routines. This adjustment period may bring up feelings of loneliness, sadness, or even loss. Additionally, it’s common for parents to feel both proud and scared at the same time–proud of their children’s accomplishments and scared for them as they embark on a new chapter of life.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet reached out to experts and asked them to share their best tips on how Drummond can survive empty-nest life. Here’s what they had to say.
Ree Drummond should continue to stay connected with her children
It can be easy to drift apart when a family member is no longer at home. Hartman says it’s helpful to look for ways to keep in touch with your children after they’ve left the nest.
Drummond doesn’t seem to have trouble in that area. She recently documented a Walmart shopping trip she took with her youngest son, Todd. She was delighted when he chose to purchase a floral throw cover from The Pioneer Woman collection. Although keeping in touch is advised, Hartman warns against being “clingy.”
“Though it’s tempting to be clingy, try not to smother your children with calls or visits too often,” Hartman tells us. “Give them space, but make sure they know you’re still there for them. Keep in touch with them through social media, texting, and video calls.”
Ree and Ladd should take this time to nurture their relationship
Now that Alex, Paige, Bryce, and Todd are out of the house, it’s just Ree, Ladd, and their adorable pets. This is a great time for them to reconnect and nourish their relationship. Ree posted an Instagram video of Ladd poking her in the side while she prepared a meal. She jokingly wrote in the caption, “We’re seven days away from an empty nest. Is this what it’s going to be like?”
Michelle Giordano, a certified counselor and community advocate for Live Another Day, says an empty nest gives spouses an opportunity to rediscover each other and focus on their relationship.
“Don’t neglect your relationship with your spouse or partner,” Giordano tells Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “Make sure to make time for each other and continue to strengthen your relationship.”
It’s OK to grieve and remember the good times
Drummond says she didn’t have a “cry fest” like she did when she dropped her other children off at college, but she was still sad. She tried to hold it together and put on a “brave face.”
“After a couple of days in South Dakota, which involved (on my part) unpacking, arranging, fluffing, and meticulously organizing Todd’s dorm room, Ladd and I finally hugged our youngest goodbye and left him at college today,” says Drummond on The Pioneer Woman blog.
Drummond continues, “I’d been anticipating the moment for months, and while it wasn’t the hysterical cry-fest I feared it would be, it was absolutely, 100% as excruciating as I’d imagined. Not to be a drama queen or anything. But oh, it hurt! I did my best to put on a brave face, but my eyes were welling with tears and the lump in my throat felt like a watermelon.”
Chris Boobier, counselor and founder of CRB Counseling, says it’s OK to grieve and take a moment to look back on the good times. “Don’t be hard on yourself or feel stupid for having strong feelings,” says Boobier. “Give yourself time to cry and be OK with this.”
Follow Sheiresa Ngo on Twitter.
