Parent of Adults is a newsletter about life after the kids grow up.
They grow up! I mean, we knew this would happen, right?
Of course we did. And it’s wonderful. It’s also… weird.
My kids adults no longer live at home — one’s a college senior; the other’s a college graduate living in the Midwest.
I love being the parent of young adults and have always looked forward to their transition to independence — for them and me. But empty nesting has turned out to be more than a transition.
It’s a whole new world.
There’s more freedom and possibility, for sure. But there’s also a flashing question mark where my daily rhythms and sense of direction used to be. It’s confusing! It’s thrilling! It’s … 🤯
This newsletter is a place to reflect on my empty nesting experience and, as importantly, hear how it’s going for you.
The details are sure to differ, but I suspect we also have a lot in common. This is a place to keep each other company, learn from each others’ experiences (or share a mutual shrug 🤷🏽♀️), and remind ourselves we’re not alone — and we never were.
About me
I’m Asha Dornfest, a writer and parent of two young adults.
I’ve been writing since the mid-90’s and blogging since the early aughts. My beloved community blog of 10+ years, Parent Hacks, inspired my book Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids (Workman, 2016).
Before Parent Hacks, I co-wrote Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More By Doing Less (Routledge, 2013) with my friend Christine Koh. This led to our co-hosting 250+ episodes of the award-winning podcast Edit Your Life. I no longer co-host the pod but it continues to thrive as a solo show by Christine.
My husband, Rael, and I have lived in Portland, Oregon for over 20 years (we love it here). My mom moved to Portland in early 2020 after my dad died unexpectedly. Along with empty nesting, grief + the pandemic upended and rearranged our lives. We’re making our way forward one day at a time.
Subscriber benefits
Free subscribers
This newsletter is mostly free, and you can expect 2-4 posts per month. New material is prompted more by topics than timing. I hope this “bloggy” approach to newslettering suits your crowded inbox.
Comments on public posts are open to everyone for one week after publication. Archived posts move behind the paywall after a few months.
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This newsletter is reader-supported. To me, “support” means two things:
The financial support is obvious. Your paid subscription makes it possible for me to keep this newsletter ad-free.
More subtle: your paid subscription tells me you appreciate my work and want to help me keep doing it. A concrete show of support like this means everything.
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A few more ways to think about paid subscription:
It’s a way to participate in the reciprocal exchange between writers and readers.
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Gift subscriptions 🎁
Why do new parents get all the attention? Becoming the parent of an adult is a major milestone that’s worthy of celebration!
Buy a one-month or one-year gift subscription for a friend when:
Their kid turns 18 or 21
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It’s Day 1 of empty nesting (!)
You want to give a thoughtful gift for a holiday, birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day…
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