Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos has a very special reason to be spending more time away from his home in New York City in the near future.
The television host, 62, and his wife Ali Wentworth, 58, helped move their youngest daughter, 18, into her new student accommodation. Naturally it is an emotional time for the parents as they dropped their youngest daughter off at her new home, Nashville University, for the first time.
George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth face change
© Ali Wentworth's InstagramDespite their own mixed feelings of nerves and excitement, the proud parents had some good words of advice for their daughter. "Go with the flow. Be engaged. Be curious," they told her. Happy for her, George said: "It’s a huge adventure for Harper… She’s never lived in Nashville before and the campus was amazing."
Both of their children have now flown the nest as their eldest daughter Elliott, 20, has been studying at Brown University. This has left both parents feeling "a little nervous, but excited too," George revealed. He added: "Ali and I met and got married, within nine months, and had a baby nine months later, so we’ve never known a house without kids really."
Big family milestone
© George Stephanopoulos' InstagramStirring up all kinds of emotion, Ali marked the huge milestone for the family on her Instagram with a sweet photo. In the picture, the husband and wife could be seen holding hands as they embrace the next stage of their lives together.
Beside it, she wrote: "We dropped our baby off at college. Everyone is saying "she’s ready to launch"! But… I don’t think I’m ready! I don’t want to stop making pasta with vodka sauce, picking up wet towels, cuddling up to her familiar scent. As Joni Mitchell once wrote- "the bed’s too big, the frying pan too wide". I know our daughter will thrive. But man, it’s brutal on the parents. If you feel inclined- please send me baked goods. I’ll be under my covers."
Change for George and Ali's family
© Ali Wentworth InstagramDespite their busy schedules, the family have always had a close bond so no wonder it will bring about more change for them. George previously revealed the whole family would sit to have dinner together.
He wrote for Men’s Health last year: I’m a pretty relaxed father. But as our younger daughter, Harper, says, the only thing I’m strict about as a dad is family dinner, “and the rest of my friends think, like, that’s pretty weird.” I don’t want to romanticize these nightly dinners. There are days when I don’t want to shop or cook or corral everyone. We’ve had disasters where the food is terrible or we’re all cranky. Plenty of the dinners have involved everybody rushing, finishing the meal in less than 20 minutes.”
© Ali Wentworth InstagramSadly when their eldest daughter went to university it brought about a change for the family, he added: “Elliott went to college last fall, but Harper is still home. We still have family dinners, though not as frequently. (Harper does not always love being the sole focus of attention.) I miss the ritual.”
