Joanna Gaines is still adjusting to having two of her kids at college, and she’s sharing the emotional ride of this new chapter of life. The former HGTV star explained how it’s both “fascinating and crazy” to feel bittersweet about kids leaving home.
Joanna Gaines Reflects on ‘All of the Emotions’ of Her Kids Leaving for School
Gaines’ two oldest kids just left for college — her son Drake is currently a junior and her daughter Ella is leaving home for her first year.
In an August 19 interview with “Today Show Radio,” Gaines shared her thoughts on how difficult, yet necessary, it is to let go when kids leave for college.
“Everything’s good, you know I feel like we’re on such a fun journey,” she said of the Magnolia empire she and husband Chip have built. “It’s crazy to think that 25 years ago we started this. And to see where it is now is truly like, it’s still mind-blowing to us.”
As for their kids going to college, she noted she is “working through all of the emotions, both the beautiful and the ‘Oh, I’m just gonna miss her.'”
She explained, “I joke, if there’s a parent support group out there, I’ll bring the baked goods … I just feel like, naturally, as a mom, you want to hold them close.”
The “Magnolia Table” star added, “So it is that idea of letting them go and you know, experiencing two emotions in one breath. It’s really fascinating and crazy.”
Joanna Gaines Said It Was ‘Different’ When Her Daughter Went to School
During an August 19 interview on the “Today” show, Gaines explained how she was adjusting to the kids leaving.
She said she felt like she had it figured out as her son left for his third year of school, but it was “different” with her daughter going across the country.
“The kids are good. I have my oldest son [Drake, 20], now a junior in college,” Gaines said. “I feel like I’m getting the hang of it. Every time he leaves, it’s not as hard.”
Gaines continued, sharing how she’s managing with her 18-year-old daughter, Ella, leaving. “She left last week. So it’s, like, still raw,” the “Magnolia Table” star shared.
She added, “And it feels different because she went further and she’s my girl. So I thought ‘Oh, I have this down with Drake’ … It’s totally different.”
