Hello all, I'm Anna. I'm 52 and I have three children aged 17, 19 and 21, two of whom are away at university and the youngest is still at home for now, studying for her A Levels. At the moment, I only have one of my children living at home, and so I am experiencing the feeling of an "empty nest." I don't mind telling you that it's difficult! I find talking to someone about my feelings really helps and I am happy to share how I cope with this new feeling. I have always been a very hands on mum, which at times has been challenging, but also very rewarding. I was a stay at home mum from 2003 until 2017. At this point, I decided to re-train aged 45 and studied for my level 3 diploma in Early Years Education while working in a private nursery, mainly in the baby room. After that, my husband and I became full time foster carers in 2001, but now only offer respite care to our fostering colleagues and friends. We have so far welcomed three children into our home, the first child for over two years. Fostering has been one of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences I have ever been through but I wouldn't have done anything differently. I love giving a home and a family life to children that really need it. I also care part time for my elderly parents and am back to being a housewife. As I have a lot of experience in parenting and working with children, I feel that if a situation presents itself, it's likely I've experienced it and can use that to your advantage if you need any help or guidance. Apart from that, I am empathetic and a really good listener, if all you need is to talk or have a rant. :-) Whatever stage of parenting you're at, or if you're considering fostering or working with children, I am sure that we would have a lot in common and lots to talk about!