Denis Leary: No fear of the empty nest

LONDON, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- FX Network's "Rescue Me" star Denis Leary and his wife say they have no fear of empty-nest syndrome and a British study indicates they are not alone.

British researchers say empty-nest syndrome is a thing of the past, as parents whose children move away are fitter, richer and have better love lives -- in fact, they say they feel 10 years younger.

Unite, a manager of student housing in Britain, interviewed 2,000 parents in Britain whose children moved away to attend college and found the parents have time for new hobbies and activities because of the time saved on domestic chores.

The majority of the parents say they are using the extra time for house renovation, travel and exercise. However, 58 percent say they dream of taking up an "extreme hobby" such as snowboarding, bungee jumping or white water rafting.

Leary is not so adventurous, but he too says he is planning new hobbies. He says his kids' rooms have PlayStations and three different game systems, and his son's room has guitars and a drum kit he can't wait to use.

Psychologist and parenting expert Dr. Pat Spungin, commenting on the study, says many parents have a hard time seeing their children leave home.

"But, the extra time and cash can bring about a whole new sense of freedom," Spungin says in a statement.