Navigating Emotional Terrain: Women’s Experiences of Loss and Gain

The departure of a child from the parental home is widely recognised as a significant turning point that necessitates a redefinition of roles and identities. This process involves emotional reflexivity, prompting individuals to question their feelings and the reasons behind them. While there is a considerable body of literature on women’s emotions during the post-parental stage, further exploration is needed to gain a deeper understanding of how women interpret and make sense of this experience. This is particularly important given the evolving societal expectations and emotional ideologies surrounding women with non-resident children, which can significantly shape the framing and reframing of this experience. Adopting a symbolic interactionism perspective, this chapter examines five distinct emotional patterns that have emerged from the analysis of 20 in-depth individual interviews conducted in Poland, as well as 43 dyadic interviews with couples from both Poland and France. The chapter specifically delves into the emotional patterns of grief, frustration, pride/guilt, relief, and pleasure, highlighting their connection to how individuals perceive the situation as either a loss or a gain. By offering insights into these emotional patterns, this chapter contributes to a deeper understanding of the underlying ambivalences inherent in the experience of children leaving the nest.