The period after a divorce can be extremely difficult for minor children. The family they know is no more and further upheaval awaits them in the form of potential new homes or schools.
Constant movement between two households may exacerbate already complex feelings. Birdnesting, also known as nesting, is a potential solution to this problem.
What is nesting?
Instead of forcing the children to travel regularly, disrupting their schedules and lives further, the parents take turns moving. One parent stays in the family home with the children for a period and then switches with the other parent for the next. This allows the children to retain the security and comfort of their own home without making a couple that is no longer together cohabitate. It may also reduce the hassle associated with coordinating swaps and ensuring what the offspring need at one house goes with them to the next. Nesting can also defray expenses by allowing the maintenance of a smaller residence in addition to the family home instead of two capable of housing a family.
Is nesting the right option?
Birdnesting is not the solution for everyone. Whether it works for co-parents and their children largely depends on individual circumstances. If the former spouses have an especially contentious relationship, it may be difficult for them to maintain such an arrangement. It may also make it harder in some instances for children to fully accept that their parents are truly broken up.
For the offspring of recently divorced parents, nesting may ease the transition to a daunting new stage of life. However, it may not work in every situation. In some cases, temporary birdnesting may be easier.