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Maybe you've recently found yourself restless at home, unsure of how to deal with the silence that comes after you've dropped your child off at college. Or maybe you’re growing anxious at the thought of your daughter or son leaving the nest at the end of the summer. Coping with an empty nest is different for every parent, but luckily three mothers who have been there and done that are willing to share their own survival tips. Psychologist Carin Rubenstein, Huff/Post50 blogger Karin Kasdin and author Christie Mellor recently divulged how they coped when their kids left home on “The Today Show”
Rubenstein, author of "Beyond the Mommy Years," admitted to "Today" that she went through a brief period of grief when her children left home, mentioning how difficult it was to even putting away their dinner placemats.
But this realization saved her: “You're always going to be a mother,” Rubenstein said. “You're just not an intense full-time mother. You're a part-time mother and that's a good thing."
Kasdin, who relied on friends to get through her empty nest blues, coached Hoda on how to help Kathie Lee deal with her empty nest.
And while Mellor -- the author of "Fun Without Dick And Jane," who has shared with Huff/Post50 10 fun activities to keep your empty nest bustling-- mentioned that parents can go to empty nest support groups, she also noted the increase of negative connotations surrounding a house sans children was unnecessary.
"Look at this as you've done a great job and pat yourself on the back for the success and be joyful for them because they'll be joyful," Mellor said.
Additionally, the three mothers discussed how a marriage can change for the better, as about half of marriages get better during their empty nesters years, according to Rubenstein.
Watch the above video for more tips for surviving an empty nest, and which empty nest survival tip Kathie Lee Gifford admits to breaking.