Separated California families may benefit from nesting

by | Jun 1, 2017 | Child Custody |

Traditional custody-sharing arrangements may not be viable for all families, and some divorced parents are turning to nesting. This kind of custody sharing contrasts with typical methods by focusing on providing the children with a less disruptive lifestyle as the parents take turns occupying the family home with their kids.

Divorce mediators say that nesting can make it easier for children to avoid feeling uprooted since they don’t have to change their living environment whenever it’s time to exchange custody. In some cases, adults favor these setups because they don’t have to purchase extra homes capable of accommodating their entire family minus the other parent. Instead, they can just pay the rent on an apartment for their personal use while they’re not the one taking care of the kids.

Some potential disadvantages of nesting include the fact that it might pose a challenge for children who have a hard time understanding the nature of the changes in their familial relationships. While some kids certainly benefit from seeing their parents get along instead of watching them fight, others might resist accepting the idea that the marriage is over. If the adults aren’t inclined to cooperate, then nesting may not be a viable co-parenting solution due to the proximity and coordination they need to maintain.

Contemporary families deal with divorces differently than previous generations did. Parents who have ended their marriages have modern attitudes on how to raise their children, and for many, options like nesting seem like logical ways to ensure they provide the best for their kids. Although opinions and social mores are evolving, parents may still benefit from going through processes like divorce mediation to ensure that their own emotional baggage doesn’t confound their good intentions.