If you and your spouse are ready to pull the plug on your marriage, you’re likely quite concerned on how the fallout can affect your minor children. There is no doubt that divorce has a destabilizing effect on everyone involved. But those whose lives are disrupted most are typically the kids.
If you want to reduce the adverse consequences of divorce on your children, bird nest parenting could be an option for your family.
What is bird nest parenting?
For one, it’s not going to be the choice for everyone facing divorce. But it remains an out-of-the-box option for those willing to consider it. Bird nest parenting means that the kids remain in the family home 100% of the time. It is the parents who shuttle in and out of the house during their parenting time.
The major benefit is that there is less disruption to the kid’s lives. They get to remain in their own school districts, neighborhoods, homes and bedrooms. This can help them adjust to the “new normal” wrought by their parents’ divorce.
There are some negatives
For this to work, both former spouses have to be fully committed to remaining civil and considerate of one another, as they are essentially still sharing living spaces. Hotly contested divorces will not typically be the ones where bird nest parenting is a good custody option.
It can also be an issue when one or both spouses moves on with another partner. It can be quite awkward to share a home and even a bed that your ex and their new partner live in and use. At that point, those who have wholeheartedly embraced the concept may want to rethink their options.
Could it be a good solution for you?
Only you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse can make that determination. The courts will never order this type of custody arrangement, but most family law courts are willing to sign off on the arrangement if both parties are in accord.
