As a marriage and family therapist for 20+ years, I have found that the past 3 or so years I have seen more ‘nesting’ families, then I did years ago. The typical nesting scenario is when a couple is still legally married, but they are choosing to share the same home. For many, the adults take turns between who sleeps in the home, the “nesting home”, which is the home base of the children, between who sleeps at the “other home”. Thus, rather than children whose parents are divorced experience that the kids take turns between sleeping in one house vs. the other, the parents are the ones doing the back and forth. In other nesting scenarios, the couple decides that one adult sleeps in one room and that is “their room” whereas the other adult has another room in the house that they consider their own. That is not considered the typical nesting scenario, but it does exist. That is usually referred to as separated but living under one roof. Typically when the term “nesting” is used, that is when there is an additional home. Depending on who you ask, some say both is considered nesting. I am simply sharing what is the “typical/standard” term as it is used and understood.
I invite you to learn more about nesting, check out an article written by Kara Baskin in The Boston Globe of which I shared my insight during an interview entitled: Separated But Living Under One Roof… For Now.