It can be a life altering change once your last child leaves the home bound for college or just life on their own. What do you do with all that free time and space? This is typically called ‘empty nest syndrome’ and just about all parents suffer from it at some point. But, there are some things you can do to ease the transition for yourself.

The first thing that needs to happen is you need to get into their former room and declutter fast! Get all of their stuff out of there. If they were a typical teenager, especially a boy, you will probably need to paint the walls, change out the carpet, and give it the thorough once over.

Now what do you do with that extra space? Some mothers have been known to turn their child’s former room into a sewing or craft room. You can put up some decorative shelves and give it a little style – adult style. Maybe their room could be turned into a television room, or a den for relaxing.

The thing that most parents do with that extra bedroom is turn it into a home office if they don’t already have one. Now, you’ll have that extra space to really focus on your budget and what you’re going to do with all that extra money since your grocery bill is going to go down.

Of course, you could just get the room cleaned up into tip-top shape and use it as a guest room for when you have visitors from out of town. This is most likely the most logical step for most parents, since it is already setup like a bedroom. This is also a good option since they kids will sometimes come back for a short time during their transition.

The point is, don’t waste any time getting that room cleaned up and re-purposed. The sooner you can move on the better.