Recoupling Transitions in the Empty Nest: Women’s Perspective

Applying the framework of life course studies, this chapter examines families that have experienced separation, divorce, or the death of one partner before the transition to an empty nest. The aim of this chapter is to explore how the departure of children impacts the potential reconfigurations of women’s intimate lives after ending their relationship with the child’s father. Despite existing models to study this transition, postdivorce repartnering, as a continuous process of family formation, remains relatively unexplored. Through analyzing 14 stories of Polish women and 17 stories of French women, and referencing the Anderson & Green model, the study concludes that the empty nest represents a significant turning point in mothers’ private lives. It brings about changes in their personal commitments and provides an opportunity for self-reflection. Some mothers begin new romantic relationships that were previously forbidden to them, while others develop hidden living apart together (LAT) arrangements, engage in love affairs, or form informal relationships. These newfound relationships take on a new character, facilitated by greater independence from obligations to their children.