Blog Divorce

Do you feel like you are ready for divorce, but not quite ready to expose your children to all the major changes involved in the process? One way to ease into the many transitions that come along with divorce is by nesting.

Under a nesting arrangement, children stay in a family or mutual home, while co-parents take turns living in the family home to take care of the children. So, rather than having to pickup and drop-off your kids between two homes, you and your ex will be the ones splitting your time between two residences.

If you are considering nesting, here are three benefits to keep in mind:

  1. Adjustment period: Divorce comes with a lot of change, you will likely have to adjust to being single again and maybe even experience single parenting for the first time. Acclimating to life after divorce can be a little easier by doing so in the comfort of your current home. It will also create more time between selling the family home, moving somewhere new and having your children swap between two homes.
  2. Sense of stability: A single home for children can create stable ground in a situation that is emotionally difficult and confusing for both the adults and little ones involved. This can be beneficial to both young children who thrive with routine and older children who might not want to move away from neighborhood friends.
  3. Co-parent teamwork development: Perhaps you try nesting for a few months and it doesn’t exactly go according to plan. Maybe your ex hangs around too long after you arrive to take care of the kids or you get into other disagreements from having to share the space. You might figure out you communicate better with your ex when there is a little more distance between you two. Trying out this arrangement can bring to light your strengths as co-parents and help you alter your approach moving forward.

The beauty and challenge of choosing a parenting arrangement that is most suitable for your situation, is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.