Aspects of human growth and development have been studied since the inception of psychology as a field of science. The impact of the quality of mothering on children has been highly researched. However, little attention has been paid in the professional literature to the experiences of mothers as their children move through developmental stages. The focus of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to investigate how mothers’ experiences of their child's growth and development changed her perceptions of her identity and herself. Participants were eight women who had launched the oldest child from the home within the last 2 years. Extensive data analysis and triangulation procedures were conducted to develop themes. Universal themes experienced by all participants were categorized as internal (questioning, comparison, being purposeful, and feeling supported) and external (experiencing joy). Some participant experiences were influenced by incidental themes such as subsequent children, expectations versus reality, and spirituality. Participants’ experience of their mothering role was also impacted by the process of letting go through the developmental progression of their children. Clinical implications are discussed.

自心理学作为一门科学领域诞生以来，人们就一直在研究人类成长和发展的各个方面。母亲的素质对孩子的影响已经得到了高度的研究。然而，专业文献很少关注母亲在孩子经历发展阶段时的经历。这项解释学现象学研究的重点是调查母亲对孩子成长和发展的经历如何改变她对自己和自己身份的看法。参与者是八名妇女，她们在过去 2 年内将最大的孩子从家里推出。进行了广泛的数据分析和三角测量程序来制定主题。所有参与者所经历的普遍主题被归类为内部（质疑、比较、有目的的、和感觉支持）和外部（体验快乐）。一些参与者的经历会受到一些附带主题的影响，例如后续的孩子、期望与现实以及灵性。参与者对他们的母亲角色的体验也受到让他们经历孩子发展进程的过程的影响。讨论了临床意义。