Divorce is hard, but reimagining your life in the aftermath can be much more challenging for many families. Particularly if you and your ex-spouse have children in joint custody, it is important for you to create a stable routine for your children as soon as possible.
Traditionally, this involves the parents setting up separate households and the children moving between them. However, having the children do all the moving in a joint custody situation does not suit the needs of many American families. As a result, many families are experimenting with “nesting,” according to Psychology Today.
Keep your children in one home
The major difference between nesting and the traditional co-parenting arrangement is that with nesting your children stay in a single-family home. In this instance, it is the parents that do the moving in and out according to the custody schedule. Essentially, this ends up with one parent “on duty” in the family home, while the other parent is “off duty” and not in residence.
The benefits of nesting
For many families, having the children move back and forth between households causes a lot of arguments. Particularly if you have older children, nesting until they graduate high school can help maintain stability in the household.
Nothing is also good for families with special-needs children. It might be dangerous to move a special needs child too often, and nesting means that they can stay in the same place. It is also beneficial for families in expensive areas where they may not be able to maintain a household as single-income entities.
