Separated parents often worry about the upheaval a divorce causes in their kids’ lives, especially the stress that comes with moving back and forth between two households.

But what if you could give your children the security of staying in the family home?

Nesting allows kids to do just that. And it’s the parents who move in and out.

So, how does nesting work? Is it right for your family?

Beth Behrendt is the author of Nesting After Divorce: Co-Parenting in the Family Home. A freelance writer and single mother of three, Beth has shared her nesting experiences in several national publications, including The New York Times and Psychology Today.

She is also a regular contributor to Divorce Magazine and Laura Wasser’s It’s Over Easy. Beth built Family Nesting to offer advice to other families considering this unique approach to divorce.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Beth joins Katherine to explain why she and her ex-husband made the decision to try nesting and how the arrangement benefits their family.

Beth shares her take on nesting temporarily to make the transition to divorce easier, describing what the arrangement looks like for her family and how it’s evolved over the last nine years!

Listen in for Beth’s insight on explaining the nesting situation to a new dating partner and find out if co-parenting in the family home is right for you.

How nesting allows kids to stay in the family home after divorce

How Beth’s personal experience inspired her to write Nesting After Divorce

Why Beth and her ex-husband made the decision to try nesting

Beth’s take on nesting for a year or two to make the transition to divorce easier

How Beth, her ex and her kids benefit from the nesting arrangement

What the nesting arrangement looks like for Beth’s family (and how it evolved over the years)

How Beth and her ex worked out who was responsible for what, e.g.: shopping, laundry, etc.

Establishing rules re: introducing kids to new dating partners and allowing other adults to the nest

How to explain the nesting situation to a new dating partner

What qualities Beth’s ex has that made nesting work for them

How nesting impacted Beth’s relationship with her ex and how it evolved over time

Why nesting isn’t right for every family but can work for many

Family Nesting

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Beth on Twitter

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Miller Law Group

Katherine on LinkedIn

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller

Email: [email protected] 

Call (914) 685-9805

Nesting After Divorce: Co-Parenting in the Family Home by Beth Behrendt

It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way by Laura A. Wasser