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It’s a dilemma many parents face – what to do once the kids grow up and leave home?
Empty nest syndrome is something that affects many people, including celebs like movie star and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, who says she has mixed feelings about the imminent departure of her son, Moses (17) and stepson Brody (17), as they get ready to leave for university soon.
Gwyneth is mom to Moses and daughter Apple (19), whose father is ex-husband Chris Martin (47) and stepmom to husband Brad Falchuk’s (53) children, Brody and Isabella (19), with his ex-wife Suzanne Bukinik.
“It’ll be interesting to see how the morning routine changes with no kids in the house,” she said.
“On the one hand incredible sadness, a deep sense of impending grief”.
“On the other hand, this is exactly what should be happening. Your kids are supposed to be, you know, young adults who can achieve and cope and make connections and be resilient. That's exactly what you want [as a parent]. And that means they leave the house."
Gwyneth and Chris, the lead singer of Coldplay, split up in 2014 after 10 years of marriage.
Four years later she married producer Brad, whom she met on the set of the series Glee, in which the Oscar-winner made her TV debut.
Since then, she's been caring for her blended family they call the Faltrows.
"I've been so defined and so fulfilled by motherhood. I don't even know how to articulate it. It's like the guiding force. It's what I return to," the actress said.
This is not the first time one of Gwyneth's brood has headed to university.
Her daughter, Apple, left home in 2022 to attend Vanderbilt University in New York.
The Goop Founder says this time it’s different because the boys are the youngest in their blended family of four, and things are going to change.
“I observe a lot of my friends who’ve had kids who’ve gone off to college. Your kid . . . it changes and, you know, they come home a lot and all that stuff, but it’s not quite the same as living under the same roof all the days of the year.
“So, I’m just trying to be open to what that means.”
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To spend more time with Moses, she’s hit pause on her social life until he leaves.
"I never really go anywhere or do anything because I want to be around my kids while they live at home. You know, it's like, 'Oh, we're doing a girls' weekend here and there,' and I'm like, '[expletive] no, I have 88 days left of Moses living [with me].'"
Gwyneth also spoke about the different approaches her son and daughter had when it was time to enrol for university.
Her daughter, she told Bustle, was “very clear on where she wanted to go and did everything in her power to make it happen and manifested it” while Moses was unsure what direction he wanted to take.
"Moses [was] like, 'I don't know, I like this and I like that, and let's go back and see this, let's go back and see that one.' He's more relaxed about it. He's kind of like, 'I'll be happy wherever; it's fine,' which is a great feeling."
Despite fears of letting go, Gwyneth is looking forward to the challenges this new chapter of her life will bring.
"It's been basically 20 years of me being beholden to a school calendar – so what will that feel like to not have that?"
SOURCES: PEOPLE.COM, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, HELLOMAGAZINE.COM
