Ruth Langsford details 'emptiness' she felt when her son left home and what she focused on in the lead-up to this huge moment

When your children move out of the family home, it might feel freeing to finally have the space and freedom to switch things up and perhaps seek out some new home décor inspiration. But in between carrying out the rituals to reset your home for autumn, you’re might also feel the same "emptiness" that Ruth Langsford did when her son Jack went off to university.

During a recent episode of ITV's Loose Women, panellist Ruth revealed that while she didn’t spend "loads of time" with her son at home, as no teenagers really ever want to hang out with their parents when their friends are calling, she was left feeling a little lost when he was gone.

"It was the coming home and the emptiness," she explained. "And it’s not that Jack spends loads of time with me. They [teenagers] don’t! He just comes in and goes, 'Is there anything to eat?'"

She added, "It’s that you physically lay eyes on them every day and suddenly they’re away. You don’t know what they’re doing, how they are."

However, while she knew that she would be upset when he was gone, in the lead up to his moving-out day, she made sure never to show it. Instead, while she was crying on the "inside" she tried to be "excited" for Jack and support him in his new life chapter.

"I was very excited for Jack going to uni. I always showed my excitement at helping him get all his stuff," she said. Admittedly, this is easier said than done and her remarks prompted a flurry of comments from viewers.

Ruth’s experience is something a lot of parents will be able to relate to, with the autumn term at many UK universities beginning around now.

"My son leaves Fri! Already having a meltdown", one parent commented on the Loose Women Instagram page. Another shared, "I was bereft when my youngest went to Uni, the quietness was deafening."

It might be challenging sometimes to show immense excitement on behalf of your child like Ruth did. But one person who commented on the video shared their own experience of leaving the family home to go to university, and it shows exactly why teens are so excited to leave - and why you can get excited for them too.

"I absolutely love my mum and dad but I was so excited and so happy to finally be able to spread my wings - to decide for myself what I would have for dinner, when I would have dinner and even IF I would have dinner!" they wrote.

The commenter continued, "To not have to tiptoe around in silence if I was staying up past their early bedtime, to do my own laundry in line with my own schedule and to live with people my own age who were also having their first taste of adulthood, freedom and independence."

When you look at it like that, it suddenly seems a lot less personal. And knowing that other parents, like Ruth, are in the exact same boat makes dealing with that empty feeling a lot more bearable.