As a parent, you want your kids to have idyllic childhoods despite having divorced parents. While that idealized childhood is more fantasy than reality, there are some things that co-parents may be able to do to ease the transition of divorce on the kids.
No two households or divorces are the same, so why try to fit your family’s circumstances into a cookie-cutter mold? Some of the best co-parenting solutions come about when the former partners agree to set aside personal grievances and work together for the best interests of their children.
What about bird’s nest parenting?
It’s certainly not for everyone, but for some families, bird’s nest parenting is the perfect solution to a custody issue. With bird’s nest parenting, the children remain in the family home while the parents transition in and out of it during their time with the kids.
Why might it work out for your family?
There are no abrupt changes. Your child gets to remain in their own beds and bedrooms in the same house where they lived prior to the divorce. They don’t have to change schools or move neighborhoods. All their friends, teachers and teammates are still the same.
Families with a child on the autism spectrum or one who requires expensive medical equipment to carry out activities of daily life (ADLs) may find this is the best option unless they can afford to duplicate all the medical devices in a second home.
Why might it not work out?
Once one or both spouses move on to other serious relationships, it may no longer be comfortable to share a living space even in shifts. It can also be an expensive solution unless the former spouses agree to share a separate living space as roommates when they are not with the kids. Otherwise, they are essentially supporting three households.
The court will never order this unusual type of custody arrangement, but will likely sign off on it once the parties and their legal counsels have reviewed and approved the parenting plan.