Divorced parents decide to take turns living in their house so that their kids have a constant home

When Susan and her then-husband decided to part ways, their biggest concern wasn’t how they’d divide their things; it was how the separation would affect their five children. So instead of following the usual arrangement of kids bouncing between two homes, they tried something different. The children would stay in the family's house, and the parents would take turns living there.

It’s a co-parenting setup, more commonly known as birdnesting. Susan, who shares her journey on TikTok as @sparklysusan, spoke about it in a short video that resonated with many. “In our divorce, we decided the kids would stay in the house, and we’d switch in and out,” she shared.“Every time I pack up my things and carry them out to the car, I’m grateful that it’s me doing the moving, not the kids.”At first, it wasn’t easy. Both she and her ex had to figure out where to stay when it wasn’t their turn in the house.

However,  they made it work by renting rooms separately, something that turned out to be more affordable than paying for two full-sized homes.“It was a bit scary at first,” Susan admitted. “But our kids’ lives have stayed so much more stable this way. They didn’t have to split their world in two.”Her story has opened up a conversation online, one that many families never knew they needed to have, to establish that even in separation, thoughtful choices can keep love and stability at the center.

She captioned the 30-second video, "Working through an amicable divorce means we get to think outside the box. What really works best for our family? We realized keeping the kids in their same home is a top priority. Also, it means that we both get to keep living here part-time as well, and we don’t have to lose out on all the love and effort we’ve put into this family home." The video quickly went viral, amassing over six million views and thousands of reactions, many from adult children of divorce who said they wished their parents had taken a similar approach.

“I moved between homes every few days as a kid and constantly felt like I didn’t belong anywhere,” wrote @mvh.creations. “What you’re doing brought my inner child to tears.” @humankirk, echoing the sentiment, said,  “My parents actually did this, and I’ll always be grateful. Having one consistent home while everything else was falling apart meant the world.”Others praised the maturity and collaboration it takes to put the children's stability first. “This really shows how grown-up both of you are,” commented @JJEmber.

And @BoosBooks summed up a common feeling, and said,  “I’ve always believed this is the way it should be. Why should the kids lose their home just because the marriage didn’t work?” As for Susan, she shared some insight in the comments, stating she and her ex coordinate once a week for “family admin,” split weekdays between them, alternate weekends, and whoever sleeps at the house handles the morning routine. Handoffs happen after school drop-off, making the transition seamless for the kids, even if life behind the scenes requires extra effort.

For more such videos, you can follow @sparklysusan on TikTok!