Like most parents, you probably worry about your divorce’s toll on your children. While children can acclimate and become healthy and happy with two households, you have to cultivate a healthy environment for them to thrive in at home. For some parents, turning to a co-parenting strategy known as nesting helps alleviate some of the tension involved in acclimating to divorce.
According to NBC, nesting is a strategy that allows children to remain in the family home.
What does nesting entail?
In birdnesting, your children remain in the family home. You only return to the family home when you have custody of your children. For example, if you and your spouse have one week on and one week off, you would go to the family home for one week and leave when your spouse returns the next. While children keep the same routine, you and your spouse may share a separate house or apartment when you are not in the family home.
How do you create a healthy nesting strategy?
Birdnesting does not work for every family. If you and your spouse do not have an amicable relationship, you may have trouble sharing a separate space or working together for your children. Some parents need to have two separate places to interact with their children. Additionally, you should not make nesting a permanent solution. Nesting can confuse kids or make them believe that you and your spouse may get back together. Use nesting as a time to acclimate your children to the divorce, rather than setting up a long-term way of life.
While nesting does have benefits, your family’s dynamic determines whether it works for you.
