It’s very hard to let children go when they want to fly the nest

Dear Maggie

My son is leaving home after the summer.

Although I know it is a fantastic opportunity for him I can’t help worrying that he’s still so young and I’m concerned about how he’ll cope.

Also, I will miss him being around. His childhood seems to have flown by!

Maggie says

I know how you feel. We have our children and we want the very best for them. But sometimes that means letting them go. It’s a hard lesson for every parent to learn and it never gets any easier.

I cried when my first son left home for a job in England. I was proud of his achievement but I worried about how he’d cope with all the practicalities of life. He did but it took time! I went to visit him in Preston and found he had only one rather grubby towel in the bathroom. I went out and bought him two more. “Stop fussing,” he told me.

Our job as parents is to give our children roots and wings. The “roots” are the easy part.

Raising them, enjoying them, being fully involved at every different stage of their life is a privilege and often great fun. The difficulties come with the “wings”. You don’t want them to fly too hard or too far away from you. But it happens.

To be the best mother you can be is about learning to let go when the time is right. Do it with grace and they’ll come back with gratitude.