Ep. 12: Preparing for the Empty Nest (Long Before it Ever Comes) and Navigating the Transition Well (with Kathy Young Deegan)
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About This Episode
The empty nest. It's one of those phrases that can make a mom's heart clench — even if the kids are still in elementary school. Whether you're in the thick of the parenting years wondering how you'll survive it, or you're already on the other side trying to find your footing, this conversation is for you. Rachel sits down with life coach and Be Well Resources founder Kathy Young Deegan — just nine months into her own empty nest season — to talk honestly about what this transition is really like, and how to approach it with intention.
About Kathy Young Deegan
Kathy Young Deegan is a life coach and the founder of Be Well Resources, a wellness organization based in Los Angeles that walks people toward wellness in their relationships, vocation, and health. She serves clients in LA and around the world, and hosts the podcast Coping. Kathy recently became an empty nester after raising three children, and brings both personal experience and professional wisdom to this conversation.
In This Episode
What it was actually like for Kathy to drop her last child off — and what has surprised her most about life nine months later
The grief and loss that can show up in the empty nest season, even when you're proud and relieved
Why parenting doesn't end — it just transitions to a new kind
Kathy's four practical strategies for navigating the empty nest well:
Notice and allow the emotions to come up, well before the day arrives
Embrace the open spaces and ask what you've been putting on the back burner
Seek support — empty nest friends, book groups, therapy, community
Transition slowly and give yourself a "gestational period" of at least nine months
How spouses can experience the empty nest very differently — and what to do when one of you is sad and the other is relieved
The real risk of couples drifting apart once the kids leave, and how to stay connected
What it means to live the parenting season you're in well, even when it's really hard
The beautiful long game: why showing up for your kids now pays dividends long after they leave
Key Takeaways
You will survive. And you will find new life on the other side.
This is not an empty nest — it's an open door. (Thanks, Gretchen Rubin.)
The days are long, but the years are short. Even the hardest parenting seasons are fleeting.
You and your spouse may not experience this transition the same way — and that's okay. What matters is keeping the conversation open.
The presence you invest in your kids now doesn't disappear when they leave. It comes back to you.
Show Notes — Resources Mentioned
Be Well Resources (Be Well blog, podcast, and events)
Kathy's podcast: Coping — also available on Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen
Kathy's Empty Nest Club (coming soon — reach out to Kathy to get on the list)
Facebook group for empty nesters: Grown and Flown
Book: Feathers from My Nest by Beth Moore
Authors mentioned: Gretchen Rubin, Brené Brown
Contact Kathy: kathy@bewellresourcesla.com
Connect:
Find Rachel on Instagram@vibrantmarriagepodcast
Follow Be Well on Instagram, or join the private Be Well Facebook group
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