Can “nesting” help our divorcing family?

On Behalf of | Apr 9, 2021 | Divorce |

Managing the act of parenting after divorce is often one of the most complicated aspects of the process. Figuring out where your family will live after you have completed your divorce and what the future looks like can be extremely daunting.

Some families have been experimenting with unorthodox living situations in order to suit their needs best. For example, more families are turning to “nesting” as a living situation post-divorce.

How is “nesting” different?

Typically, after divorce the parents set up two separate households. Subsequently, the children move between these two houses as per the custody agreement. However, this arrangement is not suitable for all families. Instead, some families are keeping the children in one living situation. Rather of the children doing the moving between parental households, the parents move in and out of the family home.

The reason adherents call this arrangement “nesting” is because it mimics the movement of parent birds taking care of baby birds in the nest.

Why would we do this?

If you have a child with special needs, moving that child frequently may be dangerous. Nesting allows you to keep any necessary medicines or medical equipment in one living situation. Nesting can also be helpful if you live in an expensive area and want to keep your children in the same school district after divorce: you may not be able to stay in the same neighborhood after a divorce otherwise.

Nesting can also be a good compromise with older children. Often, older children resent moving frequently between houses. Nesting can provide a stable living situation for your children until they graduate high school and leave the “nest.”

Categories

Findlaw Network