Often, one of the most difficult aspects of a divorce is reimagining your life once you have it signed the paperwork. This can be particularly complex if you have children with your ex-spouse, as you will have to navigate how to grow as a family after divorce.
Some families have decided to try a new living arrangement after (or prior to!) divorce. Instead of the children moving between the parents’ homes, the children stay in one house and the parents are the ones that do the moving. This living arrangement is “nesting.”
What does short-term nesting look like?
Nesting can be a long-term or a short-term living arrangement. Many couples end up in an unofficial nesting situation at the beginning of divorce when the parents need space from each other but nobody wants to move the children yet. With short-term nesting situations, usually the off-duty parent lives with other family members or friends when not in the family home.
Nesting can be short-term due to circumstances surrounding the divorce or otherwise. Another common reason for short-term nesting is families with children who are close to graduation. Nesting can allow the children to finish up the last year or two of school before the parents sell the family house.
What does longer-term nesting look like?
Nesting arrangements can last for years in certain situations. Typically, in a longer-term nesting situation the parents will also rent out a separate apartment for the off-duty parent. Usually, families choose longer-term nesting in expensive living situations in order to keep the children in the same neighborhood, or they may have a child with special needs who is very difficult or dangerous to move.