A Toronto-based club is helping parents rebuild their social lives after their kids grow up and move out.

The Leaside Moms Empty Nesters Support Group began with just 10 members and now has 77 women from the community. The group, which started two years ago, now has over 2,600 members and has welcomed moms and dads from Leaside, who are preparing to send their kids off to university.

Group members can choose to do fun things together, such as going for walks, having wine nights, or starting a book club. They often meet at someone’s house, where the host plans an activity or event for everyone to enjoy. The support group helps parents who have spent all their time taking care of their kids until they grow up and move out, leaving a void in the parents’ lives.

Charlene Woods, a mom from Leaside, realized the silence after her kids moved out. She started the Leaside Moms Empty Nesters Support Group on Facebook to help women connect, make friends, and know they’re not alone.

The group is open to empty-nesters from all backgrounds and encourages members to share the good things happening in their lives after their kids have grown up. Right now, the group is focused on the Leaside area. While Woods is open to including more people from around Toronto in the future, she believes it’s important to keep the group close-knit so members can truly support one another.

Source: Keena Alwahaidi, BlogTO