In the whirlwind of his or her parents’ divorce, a child may feel lost and confused when dealing with a new living situation.
Nesting, where the child lives permanently in one place while you and your ex-spouse take turns living with him or her separately, is one way to help make the transition a bit smoother.
Ease of use
According to Divorce Magazine, many co-parents find it easier to share their parenting duties when they can communicate clearly. By staying in the same place at different times, you can leave reminder notes or pick up supplies in order to help each other out without even exchanging a word.
Keeping a bag of possessions makes it easy to pack and unpack quickly, and your children never need to worry about forgetting any books or school items at the other co-parent’s place. This predictability helps all the members of the house to settle into a schedule that works for them.
Sense of stability
Whenever a major life change happens, children often face long term stress over it. With nesting, you can show that while some things may change, the child’s school, house and daily life will not. Being consistent in your care and visits can help make the messiness of divorce more bearable.
Having a visiting schedule in place is one way to make sure you and your ex-spouse both know what time to come over or leave. Your child will also grow to expect these transitions, which may occur monthly or biweekly. Nesting can reduce emotional and social problems that a child may face while also allowing you to organize your life during the divorce process.