55 Quotes about the Empty Nest to Inspire & Comfort You

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Facing the empty nest can feel overwhelming, even for those of us who thought we were prepared. I know I cried some tears the first time I came home to an empty and quiet house. Transitioning from full-time Mom to Empty Nester can be unsettling as well. It can feel like we’re going from being a mom to…well, nothing? Fortunately, we can lean on the wisdom of those who came before us. These 55 empty nest quotes will remind you of the importance of being a mom, reassure you that you’re still needed in your kids life, and inspire you as you begin this next phase of life.

55 Quotes about the Empty Nest that will Comfort and Inspire You

Motherhood is the Greatest Thing – and the Hardest Thing

Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing - Rikki Lake

Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing

Rikki Lake

We Understand Our Kids are Miracles

You are a Miracle. And I have to love you this fiercely: So that you can feel it even after you leave for school, or even while you are asleep, or even after your childhood becomes a memory. You’ll forget all this when you grow up. But it’s okay. Being a mother means having your heart broken. And it means loving and losing and falling apart and coming back together. - Katherine Center

You are a Miracle. And I have to love you this fiercely: So that you can feel it even after you leave for school, or even while you are asleep, or even after your childhood becomes a memory. You’ll forget all this when you grow up. But it’s okay. Being a mother means having your heart broken. And it means loving and losing and falling apart and coming back together.

Katherine Center

We Love Our Kids from the Very Beginning

I loved you from the very start. You stole my breath, embraced my heart.

I loved you from the very start. You stole my breath, embraced my heart.

Anonymous

Mothers are Special

It takes someone really brave to be a mother, someone strong to raise a child, someone special to love someone more than herself. - Ritu Ghatourey

It takes someone really brave to be a mother, someone strong to raise a child, someone special to love someone more than herself.

Ritu Ghatourey

We Have the Biggest Job

Having kids - the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings - is the biggest job anyone can embark on. As with any risk, you have to take a leap of faith and ask lots of wonderful people for their help and guidance. I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to parent. - Maria Shriver

Having kids – the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings – is the biggest job anyone can embark on. As with any risk, you have to take a leap of faith and ask lots of wonderful people for their help and guidance. I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to parent.

Maria Shriver

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How to Overcome Empty Nest Syndrome and Thrive

How to Overcome Empty Nest Syndrome and Thrive

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Because We Shape the Lives of Our Children

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. - Abraham Lincoln

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

Abraham Lincoln

All Mothers Have Doubts

Behind every great kid is a mom who's pretty sure she's screwing it up.

Behind every great kid is a mom who’s pretty sure she’s screwing it up.

Anonymous

We Teach Our Children How to Live

The art of mothering is to teach the art of living. - Elaine Hefner

The art of mothering is to teach the art of living.

Elaine Hefner

And How to Be Independent

It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings. - Ann Landers

It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.

Ann Landers

And Sometimes They Hate Us For It

If You've Never Been Hated By Your Child, You've Never Been a Parent - Bette Davis

If You’ve Never Been Hated By Your Child, You’ve Never Been a Parent

Bette Davis

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How to Deal with a Disrespectful Grown Child Heading

How to Deal with a Disrespectful Grown Child

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Mothers Sometimes Struggle

To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle, I say, ‘Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. - Jeffrey R. Holland

To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle, I say, ‘Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are.

Jeffrey R. Holland

But We Are Stronger Than We Know

Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed. - Linda Wooten

Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.

Linda Wooten

We Can Be Silly

SING OUT LOUD IN THE CAR, even, or especially, if, it embarrasses your children. - Marilyn Penland

SING OUT LOUD IN THE CAR, even, or especially, if, it embarrasses your children.

Marilyn Penland

We Know What’s Going On

A mother knows what her child’s gone through, even if she didn’t see it herself. - Pramoedya Ananta Toer

A mother knows what her child’s gone through, even if she didn’t see it herself.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer

You Can’t Fool Your Mother

You can fool everybody some of the time and you can fool somebody all of the time, but you can’t fool your mother.

You can fool everybody some of the time and you can fool somebody all of the time, but you can’t fool your mother.

Anonymous

Because Your Mother Knows Everything

And despite everything I know now, I still believe, as I did when I was little, that there is an entire universe of things that my mother knows that I don’t. I still believe that nothing truly bad can ever happen if my mother is around. I know it’s not true. But still. It is true. - Katherine Center

And despite everything I know now, I still believe, as I did when I was little, that there is an entire universe of things that my mother knows that I don’t. I still believe that nothing truly bad can ever happen if my mother is around. I know it’s not true. But still. It is true.

Katherine Center

She’s Always Got a Few Tricks Up Her Sleeve

The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires. - Dorothy Parker

The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.

Dorothy Parker

Mothers Give the Best Advice

I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want, and then advise them to do it. - Harry Truman

I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want, and then advise them to do it.

Harry Truman

We Know How to Tell the Hard Truths

Clarity and focus doesn’t always come from God or inspirational quotes. Usually, it takes your mother to slap the reality back into you. - Hannon Alder

Clarity and focus doesn’t always come from God or inspirational quotes. Usually, it takes your mother to slap the reality back into you.

Hannon Alder

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How to Find Yourself When You Feel Lost

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Mothers and Daughters Have a Special Bond

As mothers and daughters, we are connected with one another. My mother is the bones of my spine, keeping me straight and true. She is my blood, making sure it runs rich and strong. She is the beating of my heart. I cannot now imagine a life without her. - Kristin Hannah, Summer Island

As mothers and daughters, we are connected with one another. My mother is the bones of my spine, keeping me straight and true. She is my blood, making sure it runs rich and strong. She is the beating of my heart. I cannot now imagine a life without her.

Kristin Hannah, Summer Island

We Need Each Other

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero, I am strong and wise and I know no fear, but the truth is plain to see, she was sent to rescue me - Martina McBride

In my daughter’s eyes I am a hero

I am strong and wise and I know no fear

but the truth is plain to see

she was sent to rescue me

Martina McBride

We Teach Our Daughters to Be Strong

Here's to Strong Women. May We Know Them. May We Be Them. My We Raise Them.

Here’s to Strong Women. May We Know Them. May We Be Them. My We Raise Them.

Anonymous

To Be The Person They Are Meant to Be

When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself. - Nancy Friday

When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself.

Nancy Friday

Even If It Hurts to See Her Grow Up

It hurts to let her baby go down the aisle
She walks right by
Looks back into her mother's eyes
And that smile lets her know
She's somebody's hero

It hurts to let her baby go down the aisle

She walks right by

Looks back into her mother’s eyes

And that smile lets her know

She’s somebody’s hero

Jamie O’Neal

Daughters Honor Their Mothers When They Decide to Become Mothers Too

Mothers and daughters are closest when daughters become mothers.

Mothers and daughters are closest when daughters become mothers.

And We Stay Close to Our Daughters, Even After We’re Gone

I always knew I wanted kids, but when my mom passed away I was like, ‘I want a bunch of kids. I want three kids or four kids, and I want to have that relationship again.’ I can’t bring my mom back, but I can have children. - Mindy Kaling

I always knew I wanted kids, but when my mom passed away I was like, ‘I want a bunch of kids. I want three kids or four kids, and I want to have that relationship again.’ I can’t bring my mom back, but I can have children.

Mindy Kaling

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A Mother is Always There When You Need Her

A Mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled. - Emily Dickenson

A Mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled.

Emily Dickenson

We Know Just What You Need

It’s funny, what the younger generation assumes we don’t know. They assume we couldn’t possibly understand the agony of heartbreak, or the pressure of buying a house. We couldn’t understand infertility or depression or the fight for equality. If we have experienced any of these things, they were milder, softer versions, played out in sepia, not experiences that could compare to theirs. You have no idea what I know, I want to tell her. Instead I open my arms and let her lie against my shoulder and cry. - Sally Hepworth, The Mother in Law

It’s funny, what the younger generation assumes we don’t know. They assume we couldn’t possibly understand the agony of heartbreak, or the pressure of buying a house. We couldn’t understand infertility or depression or the fight for equality. If we have experienced any of these things, they were milder, softer versions, played out in sepia, not experiences that could compare to theirs. You have no idea what I know, I want to tell her. Instead I open my arms and let her lie against my shoulder and cry.

Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law

Mothers Protect Their Kids Because It’s Our Job

It is not the job of the child to protect her mother. It's the mother's job to protect the child. By allowing your mother to protect you, you gave her a gift. - Kristin Cashore

It is not the job of the child to protect her mother. It’s the mother’s job to protect the child. By allowing your mother to protect you, you gave her a gift.

Kristin Cashore

We Cover Our Kids with Our Protection

My mother shed her protective love down around me and without knowing why people sensed that I had value. - Maya Angelou

My mother shed her protective love down around me and without knowing why people sensed that I had value.

Maya Angelou

And Change Our Children for the Better

Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. - J.K. Rowling

Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark.

J. K. Rowling

We Teach Our Children by Our Example

Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

And We Teach Them with Our Love

My mom and dad gave their kids the greatest gift of all - the gift of unconditional love. They cared deeply about who we would be, and much less about what we would do. - Mitt Romney

My mom and dad gave their kids the greatest gift of all – the gift of unconditional love. They cared deeply about who we would be, and much less about what we would do.

Mitt Romney

But We Know That Sometimes the Best Teacher is Life Itself

I, on the other hand, have always wanted hardship for my kids. Real, honest hardship. Challenges big enough to make them empathetic and wise. - Sally Hepworth, The Mother in Law

I, on the other hand, have always wanted hardship for my kids. Real, honest hardship. Challenges big enough to make them empathetic and wise.

Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law

We Let Them Try Things for Themselves

I think that the best thing we can do for our children is to allow them to do things for themselves, allow them to be strong, allow them to experience life on their own terms, - C. Joybell C.

I think that the best thing we can do for our children is to allow them to do things for themselves, allow them to be strong, allow them to experience life on their own terms,

C. Joybell C.

Because We Know Someday They’ll Be On Their Own

A wise parent humors the desire for independent action, so as to become the friend and advisor when his absolute rule shall cease. - Elizabeth Gaskel, North and South

A wise parent humors the desire for independent action, so as to become the friend and advisor when his absolute rule shall cease.

Elizabeth Gaskel, North and South

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There’s a ton of advice on things you should be doing in order to be happy as an empty nester. But there’s not a lot of focus on things we shouldn’t be doing if we want to be happy and successful empty nesters. Here’s a list of 10 things that happy empty nesters don't do. Are you still doing any of these things?

10 Things Happy Empty Nesters Don’t Do

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We Have our Children for Such a Very Short Time

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. - Anonymous

Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.

Anonymous

And Motherhood is Often So Hard

There are two times when parenting is the most difficult. When the baby first arrives at home, and when the adult first leaves home. - Jennifer Quinn

There are two times when parenting is the most difficult. When the baby first arrives at home, and when the adult first leaves home.

Jennifer Quinn

But We Know What We Do is Important

Nothing you do for your children is ever wasted. - Garrison Keillor

Nothing you do for your children is ever wasted.

Garrison Keillor

So We Try to Give Them All We Can

There are two gifts we can give our children. One is roots and the other is wings.

There are two gifts we can give our children. One is roots and the other is wings.

Anonymous

Because We are Teaching Our Children to Be Adults

To raise a child who is comfortable enough to leave you, means you've done your job. They are not ours to keep , but to teach how to soar on their own.

To raise a child who is comfortable enough to leave you, means you’ve done your job. They are not ours to keep , but to teach how to soar on their own.

Anonymous

Even Though We Know That Means They Will Leave Us

Our job as parents is to teach our kids not to need us. And it hurts, but when you see them as accomplished, confident, kind, thoughtful responsible people, then you know you've done your job. - Barack Obama

Our job as parents is to teach our kids not to need us. And it hurts, but when you see them as accomplished, confident, kind, thoughtful responsible people, then you know you’ve done your job.

Barack Obama

Because Our Job is Raise Children Who No Longer Need Us

A Mother's Job is to teach her children not to need her anymore. The hardest part of that job is accepting success.

A Mother’s Job is to teach her children not to need her anymore. The hardest part of that job is accepting success.

Anonymous

So We Let Them Grow Up

She stopped herself. He wasn’t a boy. A time comes in the life of a mother and son when that kind of mothering crosses the line into critical behavior. At age thirty he could eat and talk in any way he saw fit. - Catherine Ryan Hyde, Heaven Adjacent

She stopped herself. He wasn’t a boy. A time comes in the life of a mother and son when that kind of mothering crosses the line into critical behavior. At age thirty he could eat and talk in any way he saw fit.

Catherine Ryan Hyde, Heaven Adjacent

We Watch Them Grow Away from Us

The mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother's side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and to become fully independent. - Erich Fromm

The mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother’s side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and to become fully independent.

Erich Fromm

We Let Them Make Mistakes

...it's hard - looking ahead, seeing their mistakes coming, and then, unless they are in actual mortal danger, holding their hands as they make them anyway. - Kelly Harms, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

…it’s hard—

looking ahead, seeing their mistakes coming, and then, unless they are in actual mortal danger, holding their hands as they make them anyway.

Kelly Harms, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

We Give Them the Freedom They Need

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, reasons to stay. - Dalai Lama

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, reasons to stay.

Dalai Lama

Even If We Really Don’t Want to

Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter

Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter

Anonymous

Even If We Have to Pretend to Be Ok

Now, standing among the accumulation of the life of a little boy he no longer is, I look at my own young doppelgänger and realize: it’s me who has become a boy again. All my heavy-chested sadness, loss and longing to hold on to things as they used to be are back, sweeping over me as they did when I was a child. - Rob Lowe

Now, standing among the accumulation of the life of a little boy he no longer is, I look at my own young doppelgänger and realize: it’s me who has become a boy again. All my heavy-chested sadness, loss and longing to hold on to things as they used to be are back, sweeping over me as they did when I was a child.

Rob Lowe

Even if It’s Really Hard

I think the hardest thing for a mother is to make it possible for a child to be independent and at the same time let the child know how much you love her, how much you want to take care of her, and yet how truly essential it is for her to fly on her own, - Madeleine Albright

I think the hardest thing for a mother is to make it possible for a child to be independent and at the same time let the child know how much you love her, how much you want to take care of her, and yet how truly essential it is for her to fly on her own,

Madeleine Albright

So Very, Very Hard

People make a lot of jokes about the empty nest. Let me tell you, it is no laughing matter. It is really hard. - Michelle Pfeiffer

People make a lot of jokes about the empty nest. Let me tell you, it is no laughing matter. It is really hard.

Michelle Pfeiffer

Because We Know Giving Our Children Their Independence is the Best Thing We Can Do

Our children’s independence is a reminder of how much we had to give and all that we have accomplished. It is a pleasure to remember that it is not a form of abandonment but an expression of a job well done - Madeline Levine

Our children’s independence is a reminder of how much we had to give and all that we have accomplished. It is a pleasure to remember that it is not a form of abandonment but an expression of a job well done

Madeline Levine

Our Children Will Always Be Our Children

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing. - Toni Morrison

Grown don’t mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What’s that suppose to mean? In my heart it don’t mean a thing.

Toni Morrison

They Will Always Have Our Love

Making the decision to have a child–it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. - Ellen Cantarow

Making the decision to have a child–it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

Ellen Cantarow

We’ll Always Protect Our Children with Our Prayers

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. - Abraham Lincoln

I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.

Abraham Lincoln

But We Know It’s Time for Us to Let Go

The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the empty nest is learning to put myself first. I know that I have raised my sons to be big, strong, independent men who love God, themselves and care for others. I have to learn to let them have space and learn without me. - Kim Alexis

The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the empty nest is learning to put myself first. I know that I have raised my sons to be big, strong, independent men who love God, themselves and care for others. I have to learn to let them have space and learn without me.

Kim Alexis

It’s Time to Focus on Our Ourselves Again

It’s not only children who grow. Parent do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can’t tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it myself. - Joyce Maynard

It’s not only children who grow. Parent do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can’t tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it myself.

Joyce Maynard

It’s Time to Get Excited About Our Future

The afternoon of life is just as full of meaning as the morning; only, its meaning and purpose are different. - Carl Jung

The afternoon of life is just as full of meaning as the morning; only, its meaning and purpose are different.

Carl Jung

But You’ll Always Be Their Mom

It doesn't matter how old you are or what you do in your life. You never stop needing your mom. - Kate Winslet

It doesn’t matter how old you are or what you do in your life. You never stop needing your mom.

Kate Winslet

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