Hashing out a parenting plan may prove one of the most challenging parts of a divorce. Deciding what is best for your children in the wake of your split is hard. With so many unknowns, you may feel overwhelmed.
One of the newest trends in co-parenting is nesting. The model is unique and may prove helpful for your situation. If you have a fair relationship with your former spouse, you may want to consider giving it a try.
The children stay in one home
A traditional parenting plan revolves around which parent the children are with on any given day. In a bird-nesting plan, the children do not bounce back and forth between two homes. Instead, they stay in one house while you and the other parent travel. It is a novel idea that is gaining traction. Leaving the children in one home, typically the marital home, gives them security and continuity. Sometimes, the act of living between two different houses may prove stressful and detrimental to their emotional adjustment.
The pros and cons of nesting
The main reason to consider nesting is that it may afford your children added stability during a turbulent time. You may want to try nesting for the first few months after the divorce becomes final. Your parenting plan can reflect the arrangement and an alternative if it does not work. Nesting will not work for everyone who tries it. Former spouses must feel comfortable switching in and out of the family home, and each must have a place to go when the other is with the children.
Bird nesting will only work if you and your former spouse agree on the details. If it might help your children adjust to a post-divorce world, you may want to consider it.