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Empty nest syndrome can be quite depressing for parents who have kids going off to school for the first time. But melancholy moms and dads can now rejoice. When your child leaves for college, you can renovate his/her room and turn it into your own private sanctuary or workshop.
It’s not as drastic as it sounds. No, you won’t actually kick them out of their room permanently, but you will free up a good deal of space to use while your children are away.
Before you begin, discuss your plans with your children. Ask them what they want to keep. Obviously, their bed will need to stay for when they are home on weekends and holidays. A chest of drawers will most likely also stay for storing some of their clothes. But use this time as a sort of spring-cleaning to get rid of meaningless junk that has accumulated in closets or under beds over the last 18 years. Allow your child to keep whatever s/he feels important and then donate the rest to charity, if possible.
Now comes the fun part… to make a room of your own. Where a desk used to be, a new sewing table can be placed. Where the Game Boy and DVD were...