Is the ‘Empty Nest’ Syndrome Related with Middle Age Crisis?

We read about middle aged couples having problems all the time. Either they start acting out or they engage in activities or issues that are more associated with youth than mature age. Is this behavior or problem related to the fact that their kids have grown up and moved on with their lives?

Let’s consider some things:

1. They don’t have to scramble to work day in and day out to pay for college and give allowance
2. They’re retired, and can now focus on other hobbies
3. They have savings to get them what they need

While the kids are going to school, parents worry every single day how to raise money for tuition fees and other needs. There’s also the issue of accessories and updating the kids’ social status (everyone has a cam phone, mom, when are you buying one for me?). Every day, parents would empty their pockets, count change, and worry about the next day’s expenses, so they don’t really have time to think about other things.

It’s like hauling sacks of rice daily for years… there’s always one more sack to haul and they have no choice but to work together and plan together, or else no one eats or goes to school.

When there’s no more need to haul stuff every single day and the kids can take care of themselves, parents find themselves looking at each other like normal dating couples again… they start reverting to the mindset they had when they were still dating. That’s when jealousy creeps in again, as well as the craving for fun and the feeling of being “free”.

Now, however, things are different; they’re old and they are well aware of it. In short, middle-age crisis.

Yep, I think living in an ‘empty nest’ and having marital troubles are related.