One of the most challenging aspects of divorce is dealing with the aftermath. Of course, you will need to take the time to reinvent your life without your ex-spouse. However, you will also need to change your method of parenting if you hold your children in joint custody.
In the majority of joint custody situations, both parents set up separate households. The children will move between the houses according to a preset schedule. However, this does not suit the lifestyle of all families. This is why, according to Psychology Today, many divorced families are experimenting with “nesting.”
Understanding nesting
Unlike a traditional co-parenting arrangement, with nesting the children live full-time in one home. It is the parents that do the moving in and out according to the custody schedule. In essence, there is one “on duty” parent in the family home and one “off-duty” parent.
People call this arrangement nesting because it mimics the movements of parent birds tending to babies who stay in the same nest.
Making nesting work for you
Nesting is best for ex-spouses who still communicate quite well. If you and your ex cannot have a conversation without an explosive argument, it is unlikely that nesting is a realistic option for you. In a nesting arrangement, you still need to maintain a shared living space with your ex, even though you are not there at the same time.
Nesting can help improve stability for your children. Particularly if you nest in the same family home, there is very little if no transition at all on the part of the children. Many families benefit from this high level of stability and comparatively minimal conflict.
