From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

by Melissa Shultz

Overview

Rediscover your own identity after your kids leave home with this top-rated empty nest book for moms!

This empowering and insightful book is packed with practical advice, inspiring anecdotes, and valuable strategies to help you navigate the transition into empty nesting and discover a vibrant new identity.

Written by an experienced author who has been through the journey herself, this book is your trusted companion as you embark on this transformative phase. Whether you're feeling lost, overwhelmed, or uncertain about what lies ahead, From Mom to Me Again offers a roadmap to reclaiming your independence, rediscovering your passions, and embracing the joy and opportunities that come with an empty nest.

Inside, you'll find:

1. Practical tips for adjusting to life without children at home, creating a fulfilling routine, and establishing new goals.
2. Inspiring stories from real women who have successfully reinvented themselves after their children have flown the nest.
3. Expert advice on self-care, cultivating new friendships, and exploring new hobbies or career paths.
4. Strategies for nurturing your relationships with your grown children and maintaining a strong bond while giving them space to grow.
5. Guidance on navigating the emotional ups and downs of this transition and finding a renewed sense of purpose.

Whether you're a newly empty-nester or have been on this journey for some time, From Mom to Me Again is your go-to resource for embracing change, rediscovering yourself, and living life to the fullest. With its wealth of wisdom, actionable steps, and uplifting guidance, this book is a must-read for every woman ready to embark on a new chapter of her life.

Also makes a great gift for empty nesters!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492618430
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	07/05/2016
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	211,035
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Melissa T. Shultz has written about health and parenting for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, Newsweek, Readers’ Digest, The Huffington Post, Next Avenue, Scary Mommy, Babble, and other publications and blogs. She is also an acquisitions editor for Jim Donovan Literary. A native of Washington, D.C., and mother of two sons, she lives in the Dallas area with her husband.

Table of Contents

Introduction: It Happens to the Best of Us xiii

The Big Questions: What Will the Empty Nest Bring? xvii

Nine Signs You're Not Ready to Transition to the Empty Nest xxi

Part 1 Letting Go of the Mothering Instinct

On Parenting and Loss 1

The Art of Nurturing 9

The Need to Protect and Control 13

Shifting from Mother to Mentor 20

Talking to Your Kids 31

It's a Process, This Separation Thing 34

When It Really, Truly, Finally Happens 41

Part 2 Wallowing in the Past and on the Couch

The Initial Shock 49

If I Knew Then… 60

The Hardest Part 69

The Importance of Shifting the Focus to You 73

Waiting for My New Life to Begin 76

Part 3 Searching for a New Life with Meaning (and More Sleep)

Building a Bridge 81

The Father Factor 85

Doing Things Differently 96

The Power of Positive Thinking 101

How to Become More Resilient 104

How to Improve Your Outlook 106

Defining Happiness 110

Part 4 Finding the Right Path to Reinvention

Love and Marriage 119

How to Reconnect, Emotionally and Physically 126

Friendships 139

Breaking Up 146

Reaching Out 148

Passions and Careers 153

Job Search and Resume Tools 165

An Inspiring Story of Rediscovery 171

Transformation: Me, Reinvented 174

Because You're Worth It 178

Resources 185

Sources 189

Acknowledgments 195

About the Author 199

Editorial Reviews

06/20/2016
In this wise and encouraging guide for mothers of adult children, Huffington Post blogger Shultz combines posts she wrote on adjusting after her two sons left for college with interviews with mothers and various experts. Part memoir and part self-help, the book is filled with useful suggestions; the overriding message is to start the process before the kids leave. Shultz likens empty-nest parenthood to moving from catcher to pitcher; another mom likens her new role to that of a consultant rather than full-time employee. Grown children, Shultz points out, still need a parent’s input. Generally optimistic (though she does grimly compare her childless house to a “theater that has gone totally dark”), she suggests strengthening other important relationships, such as with spouses, and, if one has been out of the workforce, seeking ways to reenter it. Instead of wallowing, she recommends reaching out to friends, traveling, exploring hobbies, and viewing the change as a chance to redesign one’s future. Three million American women face the empty-nest experience each year, according to the author; this guidebook will help mothers navigate this “wonderful and horrible” time with acceptance and aplomb. Agent: Carol Mann, Carol Mann Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"Named as one of 3 Inspiring Reads by Parade Magazine: "New or soon-to-be empty nesters will appreciate the candid and hard-won wisdom in this self-help guide to navigating life after the kids leave home." — Parade

"A funny, honest, and moving love letter to mothers with everything we need to know to prepare not just for our children’s futures, but our own. I love this book!" — Jill Smokler, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Scary Mommy and founder of top parenting website scarymommy.com

"[a] wise and encouraging guide for mothers of adult children." — Publishers Weekly

"Funny and poignant, Shultz shows us how we can live a happy and fulfilling life even after the kids are gone." — Grown and Flown.com 

"Part memoir, part self-help guide, Shultz's journey of embracing her empty nest and the process of reinventing and transforming her life is told with candor, sincerity, and just the right amount of humor. Moms who are asking, "Now what?" this book is for you." — Club Mid (ScaryMommy.com)

"If even just the words "empty nest" make you feel like crying your mama-bird eyes out, take heart. From Mom to Me Again is here to smooth your poor, feathered forehead, to say, "I know," soothingly, and to offer practical advice for turning your own bereftness into a rich, full life." — Catherine Newman, author of Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy

"The kids left, the dog died, and I hadn’t spent a moment preparing myself. From Mom to Me Again is the guide I wish I’d had." — Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO of iRelaunch and co-author of Back on the Career Track

"Don't make the mistake of waiting for the kids to leave home to prepare for the rest of your life. Melissa Shultz tells us why, and how, with warmth, wit, and wisdom." — Lisa Belkin, creator of the Life’s Work column and the Motherlode blog in the New York Times, and author of Show Me a Hero

"‘I was so busy taking care of the kids that I forgot to take care of myself,' says every mother on the planet. Ms. Shultz (gently )shows us why this is colossally misguided logic, and hands us the indispensable tools we need to become non-neurotic parents of adult kids." — David and Veronica James, authors of Going Gypsy: One Couple’s Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All

"This solid, and eloquently written book is a one-stop shop for any parent who is also on the precipice. While sharing honest feelings and details of her own life from before, during, and after her kids leave home, the author collects wise commentary from others who have been there before. " — BetterAfter50

"From Mom to Me Again is sensitive, insightful and sprinkled with humor throughout. In fact, it was so engaging and well-written that I read it in one sitting." — TheFriendshipBlog

From the Publisher