Problem and soluyion paper - Essay Example

At that time the teenager starts searching for a university to attend too. Most universities are not near the place where the teenager lives, thus most teenagers move out of the parents’ house in order to attend college. The single parent at that time will no longer enjoy the company of their child. The parent now has to face life as if they were single once again without kids. A lot parents have trouble dealing with their changes in life once a kid leaves for college. This phenomenon is referred to as the empty nest.

The empty nest can be defined as a time when marital satisfaction decreases because parents derive considerable satisfaction and the children departure leaves parents with empty feelings (Messac). The empty nest becomes harsher on single parents because they don’t have a partner to support them. Problem Statement Single parents are emotionally attached to their kids. The departure of their only sibling once they go to college creates an empty nest that affects the person emotionally. Once the kid leaves for college the single parent is left with a lot free time which the person does not know what to do with.

A problem statement of this situation is: How can single parents continue with their lives in order to fulfill the hole left by the departure of their kids once they leave for college? Alternative Solutions Once the kid of a single parent leaves for college the parent is left with a lot of time for themselves. The parent might become depressed because they miss the presence of their kid in their household. There are ways in which the parent can defeat the empty nest feeling they are exposed too due to the departure of their kid.

The work life of the parent alone is not sufficient to satisfy the social needs of the parent. An alternative solution for the parent to forget about how much they miss their kid is to take a vacation. The longer the vacation time the better off the parent will be. The vacation spot can be within the United States or outside the United States. The destination chosen and the longevity of the vacation will depend on the budget of the parent. My recommendation is for the parent to take an extended vacation of at least one month.

While on vacation the parent will forget about the departure of the kid. The person will be enjoying quality time alone. Once the person comes back from the vacation it is likely that the individual will have a new perspective in life and the emotional attachment to their child will be lessen. A second alternative solution for the parent going through an empty nest feeling due to the departure of the kid for college is for the parent to get involved in volunteer work. One of the biggest benefits of volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in the community and country (Nationalservice).

Volunteering can be extremely rewarding because the person will notice how their service will benefit a person in need. There are various options for volunteering activities. A person can volunteer at a homeless shelter in order to help humans that have no home and are fighting everyday to find food. Another option for volunteer work is for the individual to volunteer at an elderly care center. The elderly go through similar situations as single parents as far as not having another person to share time with.

A third volunteering option is to spend time with children at boys or girls