Bird’s Nest Co-Parenting: Making it Work for the Kids

Divorce disrupts the lives of everyone involved. While it is understandably difficult for the couple, it is especially stressful on the children. Children who have divorced families have two addresses, dividing their time between both parents. This can be a source of frustration and anxiety, as the child may feel caught in the middle while trying to adapt to a new lifestyle.

Some parents are now choosing bird’s nest co-parenting, which is a uniquely child-centric arrangement. Here, the kids stay in the family home while the parents take turns caring for them. They come and go, similar to how birds fly back and forth from the nest. This is an arrangement that is typically agreed to by the parents without court interaction.

Keeping Your Child in the Family Home

The goal of bird nesting is to minimize the disruption to a child’s routine. The parents will have to maintain their own residences while their ex-spouse takes their turn to move into the family home. Many parents choose to live in one-bedroom apartments while they are not with their kids.

Though it can take some getting used to, the idea behind it is to put the child’s needs first. With bird nesting, the children don’t have to keep moving or transferring their belongings between two residences. They get to stay in a familiar, friendly environment. The only difference is that their parents will never be there at the same time.

There are Some Challenges

Bird nesting does face many challenges. The most obvious one is expense and location. It only works if both parents live close to the family home, and can afford to maintain their own residences on top of it.

There’s also the matter of logistics. The parents need to work out a strict schedule and abide by the house rules. They need to figure out how to split the bills and what to do during holidays. Needless to say, the parents have to be amicable and cooperative for it to work. It may be difficult, but many parents simply want what’s best for their child and are willing to put aside their differences.

If you are considering bird nest co-parenting during your divorce, contact us today. We are happy to provide legal advice to make this arrangement work for your family.