Children are often the most affected by a divorce, especially if they are young and cannot understand why their parents are no longer together. When divorce is necessary for the adults, however, the situation is usually unavoidable.
NBC News reports that nesting, or birdnesting, an arrangement agreed upon by both divorcing parents, may help make the process of divorce simpler for your children.
About birdnesting
Birdnesting is a temporary arrangement where you and your spouse agree to keep the family home and then rotate the times where you reside there. When you are not in the home with your children, you keep another residence. This allows the children to remain in the family home and retain a sense of stability as they become accustomed to the new arrangement. While their parents no longer live together, birdnesting may help them avoid the trauma of the split and moving to an entirely new residence at the same time.
Successful birdnesting
While nesting may not work for every family, there are a few actions you and your ex-spouse can take to improve the experience for your children. Working out important details before you begin may help, such as:
- How long you plan to birdnest
- How long each parent will remain in the home
- Whether new partners can visit the family home
The more details you can plan out beforehand, the simpler and smoother birdnesting may go.
Birdnesting can have several advantages for the children, such as allowing them to keep all their belongings at one home. Maintaining an amicable relationship with your ex-spouse can improve the experience for everyone involved.
