Rebuilding After Kids

When the kids leave, every couple faces the same big question:
“Who are we now… just the two of us?”

For many, that question feels exciting and terrifying all at once. The routines, the noise, the constant kid-schedule chaos—gone. And in the quiet, it’s easy to wonder if you still fit together the way you once did.

Rick and Clancy Denton asked this honestly. In fact, Clancy’s exact words were:
“What if I don’t like us when she [our daughter] leaves?”
It was raw. It was vulnerable. And it became the wake-up call that shaped the rest of their marriage.

Instead of letting nostalgia and grief swallow them, they chose intentionality. They booked small adventures. They recreated early dates. They let themselves feel the sadness—and then moved together into joy. They made one core decision:
This season won’t be something we survive; this will be the season where we thrive.

Empty nesting isn’t the end of family life.
It’s the beginning of discovering each other again—with fresh eyes, new freedom, and a whole lot more laughter.

Action Tip:

Recreate Your First 30 Days of Dating (With a Twist).
Pick one thing you used to do together—an old restaurant, a walk, a drive, a movie genre, a silly tradition—and repeat it this week. But add one new twist:
Before or after the date, share one thing you’re excited about in this new stage of life.

Small spark, big connection.

Tune into Episodes 105 (and 106 releases Friday) of Marriage IQ to learn more!

If you have missed other Marriage IQ Weekly Tip emails, here is a link to catch up on them!