Melissa Shultz > Quotes

“The goal is for your children to feel as if they can come to you without fear or disappointment, anger, or judgment. That means both of you have to make the shift and it starts with you- you have t make the effort to see them in a new light so they see themselves in that light too.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

“The biggest is family- unless they are certifiable or criminals, try to keep your kids connected to their cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, whatever you've got, even if it means sacrificing vacations and that new fridge. And visit each other in good times and bad. It teaches your kids more than you can imagine about love and loyalty, and means they will not always have a place to celebrate and someone to celebrate with, but a net to catch them if they fall.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

“A wealth of nuances, family expectations, words, and laughter. So many stories that are by themselves unremarkable, but together are meaningful and the story of our lives so far. And yes, there are more to come, but not the same kind of stories-in the same house with the same dynamic- with each of us in our set role before we make the big shift to the future us.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

“You go from an intertwined, interdependent world to mostly separate lives under the same roof. And all this happens while many moms are experiencing the emotional and physical realities of middle age and aging. You’re in this unfamiliar place—a kind of redo of life before you had kids, but with an older body and a lot more responsibility—and you’re not sure if you’re leaping away from your past or toward your new future.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

“And so here we are, on the eve of the New Year, a year that will be all about saying good-bye to the old way of doing things and hello to our new stage of life. A year in which I need to accept that the traditions that revolved around my children can evolve and yet still be meaningful and intimate. And isn't that what it's all about, really? When your kids move away, you mourn the loss of those traditions and the intimacy of your family unit. The world you created for them, took pride and comfort in, has ended.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

“What's critical is that parents convey to their children that by allowing them more independence, you are not in any way pulling back on your love or abandoning them.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

“As you continue to shift responsibilities and roles during the last years of high school, be sure to initiate honest dialogue with your kids. Something along the lines of "This is all new for me, as I know it is for you. Our roles are changing. We need one another differently, and we have different expectations about how we should be interacting during this shift to your adulthood. Let's be patient with one another and honest in a kind way. I'll tell you when you've crossed the line, and please do the same for me.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life

“The biggest is family-unless they are certifiable or criminals, try to keep your kids connected to their cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, whatever you've got. Visit each other in good times and bad. It teaches your children more than you can imagine about love and loyalty, and means they will not only always have a place to celebrate and someone to celebrate with, but a net to catch them if they fall.”
― Melissa Shultz, From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life