
‘It can be hard when your kids leave the nest,’ mother says as study finds parents want their children back
Two-thirds of parents whose children have left home would gladly have them back again. A study with 2,000 mums and dads whose children have left said they would like their children to live no further than 14 miles away from them on average. But 90 per cent were keen to support their child’s dream and let them have their own adventure. As a result, 53 per cent travelled with them for their moving-in day, and 15 per cent stayed in a hotel to ensure they were settled. For 14 per cent of those, this stay ended up being as long as a week to ensure their child was okay. The research was commissioned by Premier Inn, which has created a downloadable ‘Empty Resters’ guide in partnership with content creator and parent, Tracey Lea Sayer, aged 51, to help parents through this change. She said: “It can be hard when your kids leave the nest. “Driving them up to university for the first time, for example, is the last big thing parents get to do for them before they become an adult. ”Our tips cover lots of the issues parents will face when helping kids leave the nest. “From packing advice to making sure kids have essential life skills like how to use a washing machine or plan a food shop, it’s all here. “Helping to focus on practical matters can be really beneficial for parents who might feel overwhelmed with emotion – and it can also really help them feel useful to their kids.” The study also revealed 36 per cent proceeded to redecorate their child’s bedroom after they’d shipped out. But 28 per cent of these simply spruced up the room, making it more comfortable, for when they come back for the holidays. It also emerged kids are slightly more likely to move out and stay local than move a good distance away (57 per cent compared to 41 per cent). And 29 per cent of parents find their children come home weekly. Most kids moved away for university (32 per cent), but 29 per cent moved in with a partner and 10 per cent got their own place with friends. But while 65 per cent would be happy to have their kids move back in with them if needed, 45 per cent said their relationship with their child has improved since they left. However, kids shouldn’t expect a free ride – as 55 per cent of the parents polled, via OnePoll, would be expecting some cash in rent every month. And their child moving out has led to 28 per cent travelling more, 26 per cent having more disposable income and 23 per cent eating out more. ‘A new chapter in her life’ Tracey said her eldest daughter Franke left to go to University last year and said one thing that brought them closer was “preparing her for her university life,” which helped them “bond over the little things that signified a new chapter in her life.” Tracey added: “From the obligatory shopping trip for essential bits and bobs, to teaching her how to make the perfect scrambled eggs and navigate laundry instructions. “Buying essentials in advance made us both feel more prepared, it meant Frankie and I could spend some quality time together too. “Equipped with a checklist of essentials well in advance, the daunting moving-in date had arrived. “Having already familiarised myself with the layout of the city, the location of her accommodation and the proximity of nearby hotels for visits during term time, I found a certain sense of comfort when we arrived in her university city, which is a fair distance from home. “Learning these in advance put my mind to ease and made the moving process a lot smoother.” Here are some top tips from Tracey for parents who are finding it hard after their children moved away: 1. Spend quality time with your other kids: When Frankie left for university, I got to spend real quality time with my younger son. He is quieter and doesn’t need as much attention but now he has me all to himself. 2. Create a New Routine: Establish a new daily routine that fits with your new schedule. Don’t think you will have loads more free time though. The admin that comes with having a child at Uni is relentless. Your ‘To do’ list won’t get any shorter. Student housing, finance and travel all need organising. 3. Focus on Self-Care: Prioritise you for once. Your physical and emotional well-being is important. Try to exercise, eat well and de-stress. 4. Connect with Other Parents: Sharing your experiences can be hugely comforting. I chat to the ladies at my exercise class who are all going through the same thing. We share notes, get it all off our chests and have a right good laugh about all the things the kids are getting up to. 5. Embrace the three Stages: Grief, relief and joy. Of course, you are going to be sad and grieve when your child leaves home, but you will get used to it and weirdly quite quickly. There is a sense of relief once they have settled in and made new friends. It took about three months for it to not feel strange just coming home to the boys Read More Schoolgirls struggle to access basic period protection, research suggests Cost of living means parents have less time to play with children, according to poll When is Freshers’ Week 2023 and how can I make the most of it? Meghan Markle gives children a shoutout as she joins Prince Harry at Invictus Games How many children does Elon Musk have? Single woman’s day in a life video is met with vitriol after going viral
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ICON to partner with US govt agency to test COVID vaccine candidates
(Reuters) -Contract research firm ICON Plc said on Wednesday it is partnering with the U.S. government for a clinical trial
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Matty Healy 'set to reunite with Taylor Swift' on new album
The 1975 frontman Matty Healy is reportedly set to collaborate with Taylor Swift on her new album.
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Sitting this many hours a day ‘rapidly increases’ dementia risk, study warns
Adults who spend a large part of their day engaging in sedentary behaviors are more prone to dementia, a new study finds. The research, published on Monday in the journal JAMA, found that people aged 60 and older who spend over 10 hours a day engaging in behaviors like sitting while watching TV or driving could be at increased risk of developing dementia. Scientists, including those from the University of Southern California say, the findings are concerning since Americans on average are sedentary for about 9.5 hours each day. In the study, researchers assessed the data from about 50,000 adults over the age of 60 who had wrist-worn accelerometers to measure their movement for 24 hours per day for a week. The individuals did not have a diagnosis of dementia at the start of the study, scientists noted. They then used a machine-learning algorithm to analyse the dataset of accelerometer readings and classify behaviors based on different intensities of physical activity. Using the AI system, scientists could differentiate between different types of activity and sleeping – providing an objective measure of the time each person spent engaging in different types of sedentary behaviors. After an average of six years of follow-up, researchers used hospital records and death registry data to determine dementia diagnosis, and found 414 participants had the neurological condition. Scientists then adjusted for factors such as age, sex, education level, race/ethnicity, chronic conditions, genetics as well as lifestyle characteristics like physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol use, self-reported mental health. They found that sedentary behavior was linked with increased risk of dementia among the participants. However, they found that certain amounts of sedentary behavior was not associated with dementia. “We were surprised to find that the risk of dementia begins to rapidly increase after 10 hours spent sedentary each day, regardless of how the sedentary time was accumulated,” study author Gene Alexander from the University of Arizona said. “This suggests that it is the total time spent sedentary that drove the relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia risk, but importantly lower levels of sedentary behavior, up to around 10 hours, were not associated with increased risk,” Dr Alexander added. Researchers call for more studies to establish causality and whether physical activity can mitigate the risk of developing dementia. The findings, according to scientists, “should provide some reassurance to those of us with office jobs that involve prolonged periods of sitting, as long as we limit our total daily time spent sedentary”. Read More What it’s like having Menopause Brain in a millennial office Josh Duhamel and wife Audra Mari announce they’re expecting first baby together Woman warns not to ignore symptoms after hot flushes lead to leukaemia diagnosis Poor metabolic health ‘linked with 12% higher risk of dementia later in life’ Sleeping pill could reduce levels of Alzheimer’s proteins Daily aspirin dose can help prevent diabetes in older people, scientists say
1970-01-01 08:00

Peter Navarro judge to consider mistrial request Wednesday because jurors may have interacted with protesters during deliberations
The federal judge who oversaw Peter Navarro's criminal contempt of Congress conviction last week will revisit the integrity of the jury deliberations in a rare post-trial hearing Wednesday morning.
1970-01-01 08:00

Wells Fargo CFO expects more layoffs ahead
By Nupur Anand NEW YORK Wells Fargo could see its headcount decline further as it aims to improve
1970-01-01 08:00

Josh Duhamel and wife Audra Mari announce they’re expecting first baby together
Josh Duhamel and his wife, Audra Mari, are welcome their first child together. The couple, who officially tied the knot in September 2022, shared a joint post to Instagram on 11 September to reveal that they’re expecting. The post included a picture of a baby’s ultrasound, as it was placed next to a white flower on a table. Mari simply captioned the post with: “Baby Duhamel coming soon,” along with a white heart emoji. Many famous faces took to the comments to congratulate the pair, including Duhmael’s ex-wife, Fergie, with whom he shares a 10-year-old son, Axl. “I am truly happy for you guys,” the singer commented. “Axl can’t wait to be a big brother.” “Congratulations! The most beautiful news! I’m thrilled for you both!!” The Girl Next Door star Elisha Cuthbert added. Former Bachelorette star Clare Crawley wrote: “I was just thinking this morning about you!!” Duhamel, 50, and Mari, 29, were first romantically linked in 2019, nearly two years after the actor announced his split from Fergie. In January 2022, the Shotgun Wedding star took to Instagram to reveal that he and Mari were engaged. “It’s on!! She found a message in a bottle that washed ashore and said YES!!” he wrote in the caption, alongside a photo of him and his partner, as she was holding a paper that read: “Audra Diane Mari, Will You Marry Me?” After tying the knot in September 2022, Mari went on to praise her relationship with her now-husband. “Everyone told me that after you get married you feel different,” she told Us Weekly, at the time. “To be honest, I never really believed them and I thought it would feel the same way it’s felt being with Joshua for the last three years. But it’s much different! I feel secure.” Last year, the couple also made headlines when they poked fun at their 21-year age difference. While attending the Casamigos Halloween party in Beverly Hills, California, Mari dressed up as 26-year-old Anna Nicole Smith, while Duhamel dressed up as her 89-year-old husband, billionaire J Howard Marshall. Mari went on to post a video on Instagram of her partner in costume, as he was wearing a bald cap. In the caption, she quipped: “What age difference? Ladies and gentlemen Anna Nicole Smith & J. Howard Marshall.” This wasn’t the first time Duhamel has poked fun at his and his wife’s age gap. During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show in October 2022, he recalled how he had to go to the emergency room for a back injury, mere hours before his wedding. While he said he no longer had the pain during his big day, after going to the doctor, his back issues continued the next day. “The next morning, after the wedding, [I] couldn’t get out of bed again,” Duhamel said. “[My wife’s] like, ‘Oh my God. Everything is fine here. This is, like, the first day of my marriage, and I’m wheeling my husband around in a wheelchair.’ I’m already way older than she is.” “It wasn’t a great start,” he quipped. “But, I was like: ‘Babe, for better or worse.’” Read More Our weekend arts and culture picks, from The Fabelmans to Happy Valley Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari poke fun at their age gap by channeling Anna Nicole Smith and husband for Halloween Jennifer Lopez mysteriously wipes Instagram account and goes dark on other social channels Mom says she was shamed for teaching infant son to take pride in his appearance Kelly Osbourne opens up about weight loss journey Hairspray star reveals she went into labour while attending Beyoncé concert
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Famous People Who Have Run Marathons (and How They Did)
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1970-01-01 08:00

Paul Simon is coming to accept his partial hearing loss
It's only been a few months since legendary singer Paul Simon went public with his hearing loss and he now says he's still adjusting.
1970-01-01 08:00

Paul Simon 'beginning to accept' hearing loss
The US singer-songwriter says his new disability has changed the way he lives and works.
1970-01-01 08:00

'Wow! It’s OK to sound like that?' Radiohead's Thom Yorke credits Neil Young for inspiring signature vocals
Radiohead singer Thom Yorke has revealed it was artists like Neil Young and Jeff Buckley who gave him the confidence to embrace his naturally high singing voice.
1970-01-01 08:00

Europe’s Weak Gas Demand Signals Industrial Malaise Taking Hold
Manufacturers from chemicals to metals and machinery curbed production last year in the fallout from Germany’s energy crisis.
1970-01-01 08:00