Yes, Sisters. It's already THAT time of the year. For some, back-to-school simply means the kiddos are heading back to the classroom. But for others, it may mean that your kid (or kiddos) is launching. Where they're headed (college, job, military, gap year, or simply moving out of the family home), isn't as important as the fact that your kid-centric life is now coming to a seemingly abrupt end.

The empty nest can be an emotional time of reflection and significant change. We wonder if we can remain close to our kids as they start their new journeys. We may also have fears about our partnerships: Will they and can they survive without the children as the focal point of your lives?

Celia Dodd, author of The Empty Nest: How to Survive and Stay Close to Your Adult Child, can help. Borne of her own experience of the empty nest, she set out to provide parents with a guidebook for better understanding this phase of parenting, and ways to manage the roller coaster of emotions that can come with it. 

If you're facing the empty nest in a couple of days, weeks, or years, you don't want to miss this episode. Hint: Successfully planning ahead for this change is possible!

Celia Dodd is a journalist and author who wrote regularly for The Times, the Independent and other national newspapers and magazines, focusing on relationships, family, life, health, and education. After 30 years as a journalist, she turned to writing books about parenting and major transitions in life, such as the empty nest and retirement. 

Abby opens the episode by quizzing Julie on how well she knows the both of them as sisters. They also discuss what to do about gifts from your spouse you don't like.