Nesting is a child custody agreement where the children stay in the family home and the parents rotate in and out. This type of arrangement provides continuity and stability for the children, as the impact of their parents’ divorce on their daily routine is limited and allows parents to limit their interactions with each other. While it works for some families in California, there are others that might find that nesting is not the best idea for their family.
Healthy communication is necessary
The relationship between the parents factors into the success of their child custody arrangement. If the parents cannot communicate in a healthy manner, they might struggle with nesting. This type of relationship also breeds a lack of trust, which then might lead to additional fighting and finger-pointing. A contentious relationship might affect the nesting arrangement in several ways, including:
- Keeping important information about the children’s well-being from the other parent
- Making the children worry about the level of commitment to the family from their parents
- Creating additional conflicts between the parents, such as accusations of snooping into the other’s life, taking items from the home without the other parent’s agreement and hiding necessary documents
Nesting can have a negative emotional toll
While nesting does provide many benefits to the families who successfully implement it, for those parents who struggle to get along, nesting can have a negative impact. Having to interact with their children’s other parent, being constantly worried about their own privacy when not in the home and fearing that important items and documents will go missing, can take an emotional toll.
When deciding on your child custody arrangement, carefully consider how it will affect all the family members, as well as the status of your relationship with your child’s other parent. This will help you make the best decision for your children and yourself.