leaving the nest
Starting independent life
Leaving the nest is departing from one's childhood home to live independently, as young birds do when they mature.
The phrase typically describes young adults moving out of their parents' house: All three kids have left the nest now.
Parents experiencing this transition face an empty nest.
- adulthoodState of being grown
- flightAerial journey by aircraft
- spreading wingsExtending flight appendages
- independenceFreedom from external control
- maturationProcess of becoming complete
self-sufficiency · fledging · flying solo · bittersweetness · autonomy · emancipation · leap · real world · transition · growth · budgeting · self-reliance · coming-of-age · growing pains · milestone · development · life skills · nostalgia
- adolescencepuberty, teenager, coming-of-age, growing up, teen
- independencefreedom, liberty, Independence Day, autonomy, sovereignty
departure vs. remaining
leaving the neststaying put
Remaining in place
staying home · living at home · settling in · nesting · hunkering down
leaving, leave, leaves, nest, nests, nested, nesting, nester