Brooke Shields Is ‘Not Ready’ to Be an Empty Mom Without Her Kids (Exclusive)

Brooke Shields is about to become an empty nester — but she’s not quite ready.

Speaking to PEOPLE in this week’s issue, the 58-year-old actress opened up about becoming an empty nester for the first time when her two daughters headed off to college in the fall. Shields shares daughters Grier, 18, and Rowan, 20, with longtime husband Chris Henchy.

“Not ready,” Shields says when asked how she feels about her daughters leaving the nest. “I thought I would be relieved, but I don’t know.”

“I’ll see if I get there, but I think I’ll be even…the idea of ​​no longer living 24/7 in the house with these people that I raised is is just very foreign. It’s like going to totally foreign territory.”

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The proud mom adds that she’s told her youngest daughter to give her a “grace period” while she adjusts to her daughter’s new self outside the nest.

“Because I told my daughter, I’m like, I have to introduce you. Because I know you only do what I say you should do. And you’re not a baby anymore. And I need a little bit of time to reacclimate to you as a young woman,” says Shields.

During his appearance on SiriusXM The Jess Cagle ShowShields spoke more about her close bond with her daughters, saying that although they will both be in college in the fall, she believes they will return home at some point.

“Yeah, I’ve been avoiding thinking about it because people were like, ‘Oh, you’re going to be so relieved,’ and I just don’t see that happening,” she shared.

Shields added: “I don’t think that’s going to happen. I was like, ‘Well, they’re still going to come back,’ and by the way, the cost of living in this city is so prohibitive anyway that it could work in my favor.”

Despite Shields’ excitement about having her daughters back in the nest, the star admitted she may not be offering her space for free. “Maybe I’ll start charging them rent. That might be a good idea,” the mother of two said.

In the meantime, Shields is happy to spend time with her children, especially when her husband is away on business.

“My youngest daughter just turned 18. You know, whenever my husband is on a work trip or gone or something like that, you know, they always sleep in bed with me,” she said. declared. “We always watch romantic comedies. They’re my babies and they never will be.”

For more from Brooke Shields, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.