This week Nicole's daughter Daisy went off to uni — and it's brought up every contradictory feeling going: pride, relief, grief, liberation, and the sudden silence of a house that used to be full of noise. In this episode, NG and LM dig into what it really means to become an empty nester (or, as they'd rather call it, a "free bird") — without turning it into either a tragedy or a celebration. Because you're allowed to feel whatever you actually feel. We cover the emotional whiplash of drop-off day, what you're really grieving when the house goes quiet, the identity shift of no longer being needed the same way, navigating phone calls and contact without guilt-tripping, why the empty nest doesn't actually stay empty, and how to rebuild your relationship with your partner once the parenting dynamic changes. If your kid has just left, is about to leave, or you're dreading it already, this episode is your permission slip to feel it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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