In some cases, co-parenting is much more challenging than divorce itself. It is likely that both parents still want to put their children first even if the parents have divorced, but this can be the source of a lot of friction.
One way some families are dealing with co-parenting is by choosing a “nesting” living arrangement. Particularly if you are having a difficult time with moving your children between different residences, nesting can be a good solution. As per Psychology Today, nesting involves maintaining one family residence and having the parents move in and out of the house based on the custody arrangement.
What problems does this solve?
Nesting can be a good initial arrangement at the beginning of divorce since it allows the parents to have separation from each other without unnecessarily disturbing the children. With nesting, one parent stays in the family home while the other one is elsewhere.
Nesting can also provide a long-term solution in more expensive areas. Generally speaking, after a divorce both parents will have less disposable income and maintaining a household in a more expensive neighborhood might not be possible for the parents as single entities. Nesting allows the parents to maintain the family household and keep the children in the same school system with the same friends.
Where do the parents live?
With a short-term nesting arrangement, it is not uncommon for the parent who is not with the kids to live with friends or other family. If the family decides to employ nesting for a longer period of time, some families elect to maintain a separate apartment for the off-duty parent. The parent who is not on-duty at the family home then resides in this apartment.
