The laws of your state may regard this differently - |
I am not PP but at same time I would go a few miles given the choice because you might find someone or start dating etc and you don't want your ex keeping tabs on you if there is no hope for reconciliation. Not to mention what she may doing while you have the kids. I wouldn't want to deal with that mentally being so close. |
I think it would be great for your kids if they could walk between the two houses. Would help them feel settled into one neighborhood and not so separated from the other parent. Adults should be mature enough to occasionally run into each other and not freak out about it - especially since they will be co-parenting together going forward and presumably need to interact quite a bit. |
1) Don't move out!!!
2) As close as possible. |
I agree. Closer is better for the kids...until you start having women over to your new home. Then chance encounters become very fraught. I didn't see how old your kids are but this is especially true if there is any chance of them "popping over" on their own now or some time in the future. If you are really hoping for a reconciliation, it may not matter. But if you are seeing this as the first step to "moving on" then I would live farther away. |
You could move next door and it'd be better for the kids. But keep in mind your own mental and emotional health. Having something that definitely feels separate will aid in that. I'd say within a 10 minute drive of your new + old places is fine. Easy distance for pick-up and drop-off. |
I'm surprised you guys think you'll run into each other often. I have never seen either of my next door neighbors while out and about. |
That’s a good point. My spouse does the grocery shopping on a schedule so there are a few people he sees that has a similar schedule. But I don’t think we’ve ever seen our neighbors anywhere other than on the block and Election Day at the polling place. I have several friends that divorced and if financially they can afford it, they’ve stayed within the same high school cluster no more than 10 minutes away from each other. I think the main thing is you don’t have to pass by the ex’s house to get to your house or vice versa. As far as kids dropping by unannounced, once they can drive that can happen even if you are a 10 minute drive away. You have to figure out how to handle that at some point. |
When DW and I separated, initially, I moved to place about 2 miles from home. But that was hard on DD. Upon consideration, we decided to save money by building an apartment in the basement -- it has its own exit to the house.
The idea was, if DD wanted to, she could know on the door anytime she wanted to to. She felt better knowing I was there. By the time I moved in, the fighting had mostly ended. About one month in to living in the basement apartment, there was a knock on the door -- inside -- at about 11 PM. DW came in and wanted to talk. We talked. And more. Within a week, we were back together. We rediscovered what initially attracted us to get married. That was about 10 years ago. |
I really like your story and congratulations. Hope your marriage is going well. |
This doesn't make sense. The parent in the family home may also start to date at some point. Either parent would explain in age appropriate ways why there was another person there. I know two couples who live within a couple blocks. The kids bike back and forth all the time. Both parents dated and eventually remarried. Living close by was a very positive thing for both families. |