What is ‘nesting’ and how can it help my children?

On Behalf of | Apr 8, 2021 | Child Custody |

If you have children with your ex-spouse, your personal interactions with him or her will not end with signing the divorce paperwork. It is likely that you will have joint custody with your ex spouse, and thus will need to produce a comprehensive joint parenting plan.

There are multiple challenges associated with this. One of the paramount challenges is figuring out living situations. Due to struggles related to moving children between separate households, some divorced families have been implementing “nesting” arrangements. A nesting arrangement involves the children staying in one living situation and the parents doing the moving in and out.

Who does this help?

Particularly with older children, conflict comes up when they need to move constantly back and forth between parental households. Many older children resist this and resent it heavily. Keeping the children in the same home is often the best way to avoid inter-family conflict. Because of this, some families choose nesting so that their older children can keep their routines in place until they graduate school and leave the “nest.”

Nesting may also be the only realistic recourse for families who have children with special needs. Transporting a special needs child frequently can be dangerous. In this situation, some families elect to keep the child in one living situation.

Where do the parents live?

Nesting is sometimes a short-term arrangement. In this situation, sometimes parents simply stay with other family and friends when not in the family home. In a long-term nesting situation, sometimes parents choose to rent a separate apartment for the off-duty parent.

It is likely that you will want to have your own permanent living situation at some point, but in certain situations nesting can last for years.

 

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