Philippine E-Journals

Experiences of Empty Nesters: The Other End of Parenting in an Ilonggo Perspective

Louie P. Hijalda

 

Abstract:

This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of empty nesters in an Ilonggo perspective in terms of emotional aspect, psychosocial aspect, and spiritual aspect. It used the descriptive phenomenological method in describing the lived experiences of six nonworking middle-aged empty nesters in which their last child left home within the past five years, who saturated data in the research rigor. Purposeful sampling was utilized to select participants, informed consents were discussed and in- depth face to face semi-structured interview was used to generate data and was transcribed verbatim, was analyzed and described using the Colaizzi methodological approach. Several themes emerged based on the participants’ responses namely, experiences in dealing with missing someone, experiences in feeling positive, and experiences in coping with transition. The participants demonstrated both negative and positive feelings to the empty nester syndrome experience. Negative feelings covered sadness, strong longing, wondering anxieties and denial. Despite the participants’ diverse background, all of them have common experiences such as the feeling of sadness, feeling of relief, wondering about oneself, dealing with missing someone, dealing with transition, coping with stress and denial, seeking supports and feeling positive. In general, the empty nest gave them mixed feelings and a challenge yet the participants accommodated themselves with supports to an achieved condition of wellness.