Divorce is life-changing, and there are many considerations that a couple who is ending their marriage have to explore. When children are a factor in the negotiations, one of the major issues is figuring out where the children will live. One parent may be the primary custodian of the children or the children will go between parents equally. Because both parents will not be living in the same home together, the children are often made to travel from one residence to the next. The children, ultimately, are living out of their suitcases to some extent. 

Today, divorcing couples are reimagining the way that they go about divorce and how they parent their children. Most of the time, parents will want to have primary custody, and when this happens, the relationship between divorcing partners can become contentious. When both parties are given equal custody of their children, then the children must move back and forth, and that can be disruptive for them. Coping with and managing living in more than one home on a regular basis can make children feel unstable. To give children more consistency, some parents are deciding that children will live in only one home and it is the parents who will switch out per their parenting time arrangement. This is called nesting.

How Does Nesting Work?

When there is one home base that the children reside in and the parents follow their Indiana custodial schedule by coming and going from that home, then the children get a sense of more permanency and continuity in their living situation. Children do not have to uproot their lives on a regular basis, which can help them feel more comfortable and allow them to be set in a dependable routine that is beneficial for their developmental health. 

Specifically, the chaos that comes with always having to move to a new living situation is particularly tough on children with special needs. These children can regress and have an extremely difficult time with the stresses that come with going from home to home. Also, if a divorce results in both parents having to move out of a community, that means that their children will be taken from the school and friends they have come to know. Then, they will have to handle being in two new communities and must figure out how to make new relationships in them. That is a tough and a tall order to ask of anyone, especially children. By keeping one home in the community that the children grew up in, they do not have to experience such disarray in life and can continue to go to the same school and keep the same relationships.

Once the children get older and they begin to go out on their own, the home where they grew up can be sold. Until then, though, this nesting situation is typically only practical when both parents have a decent and cordial relationship with each other.

Speak With an Indiana Family Attorney Today

Christopher L. Arrington is an Indiana divorce attorney that can help you when your family is permanently separating. To learn more about what options can work for your unique family situation, please call the Danville family law attorney Christopher L. Arrington to schedule a free consultation at (317) 745-4494 today.