In the wake of a divorce, with their world completely overturned and in chaos, children may experience a sensation of insecurity. The family and lives they knew are no more.
They may experience anxiety, anger, confusion and fear along with general emotional turmoil, especially if forced to travel between different homes; nesting is a way to offer children an added sense of security.
What is nesting?
Nesting is when the parents take turns living with the children in the original family home. For example, one parent may stay with the children for two weeks then switch out with the other parent and live elsewhere for the next two. This allows children to stay in a familiar place while spending equal amounts of time with both parents.
What are the advantages of nesting?
One of the main benefits of nesting is the sense of security and constancy the environment offers children. They often feel safer in the family home. Traveling between homes can also take its toll on children’s lives. It can tire them out, take up their time and disrupt academics and other school activities. It can also make them feel transient as if there is nowhere they truly belong. Nesting helps avoid this.
Divorce affects different children differently, but it is not uncommon for children to experience negative emotions after their parents get one. Nesting can help ease them into their new lives and soften the impact. However, it is not for everyone. Depending on the children’s age and maturity levels, the parents’ financial and work situations, and other factors, it may not suit a family. It also requires high levels of cooperation, which is not always possible.
