Appearing in the Guardian Speedy Crossword, we’re dealing with a clue that’s a straight definition: Parent of grown-up children. The entry spans 11 letters and refers to parents whose kids have left home to live on their own. While the situation is common enough in many households, the specific term for it isn’t always on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Here’s the answer to the “Parent of grown-up children” crossword clue.
Parent of Grown-up Children Crossword Clue Answer
EMPTYNESTER is the answer to the “Parent of grown-up children” clue.
The hint 5,6 in the clue indicates the answer is a combination of two words, empty and nester. Typically, when children reach adulthood, they leave home for college, work, or simply to live on their own. In that scenario, the parents of such children are called empty nesters. It’s also a syndrome called the empty nest syndrome. It describes the loneliness and sadness some parents experience when their kids move out.
It’s called an empty nest because it’s a metaphor for when the house gets empty and quiet, just like a bird’s nest when the birds grow up and fly away.
