Chicken Soup for the Soul: Empty Nesters: 101 Stories about Surviving and Thriving When the Kids Leave Home
This is Chicken Soup for the Soul’s first book on a very emotional but exciting time for parents - sending their children off to college or new homes and careers.
This terrific book is a must read for empty nesters or soon-to-be empty nesters. It contains 101 stories written by parents who have been there already and share their stories with new empty nesters. These heartfelt stories will inspire, support, and amuse parents grappling with their own bittersweet new freedom. The book also includes stories from the kids themselves, providing the view from the other side. Parents will nod their heads, cry a little, and laugh a lot as they recognize themselves and their almost grown-up children in these stories.
In this book, parents share stories of gazing at surprisingly clean bedrooms, starting new careers, rediscovering their spouses, and handling the continuing, and often humorous, needs of their children even while they are away at college or ensconced in their own apartments. In one amusing story, a mother writes of dropping her last child off at college and then realizing that she and her husband can do anything they want. They spend three days driving the six hours home.
The first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was published in 1993, and became a publishing industry sensation, ultimately selling eight million copies. Since then, more than 150 Chicken Soup titles have been published, selling more than 100 million copies.
Chicken Soup for the Soul has won dozens of awards over the past 15 years, and its founders, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen have become celebrity motivational speakers and authors.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Emptynesters….. Well not until all of your kids stuff is out of the garage:)
Chicken Soup for the Emptynesters, tells of stories that our parents are going through and as I’m sure will soften our hearts to know just how difficult it maybe for them to let go… However, for those of us who still live between our own houses and their garages (our storage units) the emptynesting might not have set in yet:) Great read!!!
5 Stars Janet Lynn Mitchell author/speaker
I’d never thought of what it would be like to have the kids gone, off to college, and starting their lives on their own. Even though I had spent their entire lives preparing them for that day, I never had the thought of preparing me. After all, the house would stay “picked up,” my wallet would have cash and my nights and weekends would no longer consists of ball games and/or youth activities, but mine to do as I wish.
And then it happened. The kids went to college, the house was empty, and the silence was louder than any party our house held. While I counted the days for the school year to be over, I picked up my copy of Chicken Soup for the Empty Nesters Soul. There I discovered that I wasn’t alone. There were other parents, other empty nesters, entering their second phase of life.
As I began to read, I began to chuckle out loud. My life and parenting was not over, it was just going to be different. Through the Chicken Soup for the Empty Nesters Soul stories I realized that I would always be mom, my kids would always need me, and I would always be a parent–but just in a different way.
5 Stars Made me laugh and made me cry!
I remember well the lonlieness of those first few years of being an empty nester. Any empty nester will relate to many of the sweet and touching stories that parents share in this wonderful book. It is such a great read for any parent anticipating or having gone through this season of life since it is always so helpful to know you are not alone in your feelings and reactions. I truly believe in mentoring from your own experience, and that is what this wonderful book accomplishes. It would make a great gift for anyone you know who is either struggling or enjoying the inevitable time in every parent’s life.
And before we know it a new generation fills our home with grandchildren and the nest isn’t empty anymore!
Kudos to the authors that took the time to compile this precious book.
Janet Thompson author of Praying For Your Prodigal Daughter.Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter: Hope, Help & Encouragement for Hurting Parents
5 Stars One Great Read!
I have had the honor of reviewing many of the ‘Chicken Soup,’ books and I have never been disappointed; I don’t say that lightly. They all have been great reads, funny, encouraging and well worth my time. However, this one definitely stuck a cord within me, and it was perhaps one of the best I have read thus far.
I am one that has been through the empty nest and it is not always a very comfortable place to be. Loneliness and the constant feeling that something (or someone) is missing fills the home, but take heart, this too will pass.
Inside the pages of this delightful book we are treated to story after story of parents that have come upon that page in this lives. The stories are often laugh-out-loud funny, heart-touching, and practical. Just about every emotion is shown in the different tales that are shared. They are short stories, easy to read, and will leave you with the feeling that you are not alone. I liked the shortness of the stories because you will be able to read one or more a day and have a daily dose of encouragement.
It truly is a great help to know that others, from all walks of life, have experienced exactly what you are, and have made it through fine. You will be encouraged by these words and go away with the attitude that life goes on, and perhaps it is your time to shine once again. Well done. Highly recommended.
5 Stars Empty Nesters is a fabulous read!
I really liked this book. The story “The Whiz Kid” by Beatrice Brown in the Ruffled Feathers section struck a particular chord and had me smiling big time. Without giving away the story, what parent among us has not felt this about our wonderful, brilliant, now adult child? Thanks to all who wrote stories for this book and a special thank you to Beatrice for my favorite story of the collection.
Filed under: Jack Canfield Book Reviews