subject: Parents Feel 10 Years Younger Once Kids Fly The Nest For University [print this page] Leading student accommodation provider UNITE spoke to 2000 parents whose kids flew the coop for uni in the last few years and found that time saved on domestic chores coupled with less to pay on food and utility bills has given them a new lease of life.
UNITE has named this new breed of parent the Empty Nest Opportunist (ENO) and found that a typical three-year degree course offers parents:
- Three months' worth of time saved on domestic drudgery as they no longer have to cook and clean for their child
- 583 more cash a month once they do not have to support their offspring full time
- More energy - feeling 10 years younger than when their child was at home
SOCIAL LIVES
The average ENO increases their circle of friends by five people once they cut the apron strings, making three new friends and reconnecting with two old ones. The extra hours allow them to socialise three more times a week than when their kids were at home.
And when it comes to love lives, 84% said they had noticed a marked improvement. A quarter (26%) make more of an effort with their appearance for their partner, while 15% now feel able to plan more romantic trips and enjoy their new found freedom.
One in five (19%) used their children leaving for university as a chance to make a clean break and leave an unhappy relationship.
HOBBIES
The majority of those surveyed now fill free time with a new hobby. House renovation, travel to foreign climes and keep fit top the list of most popular past-times but the research also reveals that ENOs have an adventurous streak.
More than half (58%) stated that they dream of taking up an 'extreme hobby' such as snow boarding (19%), bungee jumping (17%) or white water rafting (11%). Some (5%) are even keen to try their hand at pole dancing.
MONEY
Parents are funding all this fun with the savings made from no longer housing their kids full time. The average ENO is almost 600 a month better off after shaving pounds off their food and utility bills and using their additional hours to earn extra cash at work.
Some entrepreneurial mums and dads are even supplementing their income by selling the belongings their kids leave behind. 41% reported they had made between 200 and 300 out of their children's old possessions.
Commenting on the research by UNITE, Psychologist and Parenting Expert Dr Pat Spungin says: "While many parents find it hard to see their children leave home, the extra time and cash can bring about a whole new sense of freedom. While mums and dads never stop thinking about their offspring, knowing that they are safe and happy whilst at university leaves them free to make the most of their own lives."
The report also shows that far from suffering from the separation, leaving home to go to university has a positive affect on the parent/child relationship:
- 87% of parents said they get on better with their child now
- 34% spend more quality time with offspring
- A third felt more appreciated now their child has to fend for themselves
Shane Spiers, Managing Director of UNITE student accommodation says: "Providing safe, well-located accommodation for students is our priority. We understand that parents want peace of mind when their children head off to university, so providing a quality living experience for students, which allows parents to enjoy their free time without worrying is a key focus for UNITE."
by: Nick Hill
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