Joanna Gaines Shares Message for Parents Sending Kids to College

Joanna Gaines, a mother of five, is among the many parents experiencing the emotional journey of sending a child off to college. Gaines recently shared a heartfelt message of support for other parents facing the same situation on Instagram.

“Lots of love to all the parents sending their kids off to school this season 🤍,” Gaines wrote, accompanying a touching photo of herself hugging her eldest son, Drake, who is beginning his second year of college this fall. She candidly expressed, “Saying goodbye doesn’t get easier.”

The “Fixer Upper” star received a wave of empathy and solidarity from fellow parents in the comments section. One commenter remarked, “The sunglasses are a pro mom move. Letting go is so hard.” Another shared their long-lasting memory, “My oldest daughter is 54 years old and to this day I still remember the day she left for university.”

Drake is the eldest of the five children Joanna shares with her husband, Chip Gaines, who is also her co-founder at Magnolia. Last year, Joanna penned a heartfelt essay in Magnolia Journal about her emotions leading up to Drake’s departure for college.

“In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement. But still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own,” she wrote poignantly. She added, “I catch glimpses now of what that life will look like and wonder if — or how many times — that might bring me to the floor.”

Gaines reflected further, acknowledging the complexities of embracing change. “What we learn is that life is not about holding out only for the days of brightest possibility. It’s not only about finding ourselves a crisp new page. Sometimes, in order to move forward, we have to surrender ourselves to the promise of growth that follows the fall. Easier said than done, yes — one thousand times yes.”

In an interview with People magazine last year, Gaines discussed the new perspective she has gained from having a child in college while still parenting her youngest son, Crew, who was five years old at the time. “I think the greatest gift of having a kid go off to college and having a five-year-old … is kind of that perspective of it’s not here forever,” she shared. “Don’t take it for granted, and cherish these moments. And that’s what this five-year-old is teaching me.”

Source: ABC News, People Magazine