Co-parenting, i.e. the act of working together with your ex-spouse to raise your child, has grown in popularity over the years. As studies come out discussing how much it benefits children of divorce, more parents attempt to make co-parenting work for them.
Bird nesting is one potential way that co-parenting can work for your family. It provides additional stability while at the same time letting you and your spouse keep something of a distance between you.
Benefits of bird nesting
Divorce Mag confirms that bird nesting does have many benefits. First, it lets you and your ex-spouse co-parent together without spending too much time in one another’s space. This is crucial especially in the aftermath of a divorce, where you likely value that space and need some time to heal from the split.
It also provides your child with the stability of a home they know and have good memories of. Bird nesting lets your child stay permanently in the family home, while you and your co-parent take turns living with them. They do not have to travel between homes or worry about adapting to a new location, saving them from further stress and trauma.
Potential hurdles and downsides
You must weigh the benefits with the potential downsides, though, such as the cost of bird nesting. As you cannot stay in the family home nonstop, you need a way to afford or find housing that you can stay at when your co-parent stays at the family home. You also need to share trust with your co-parent that the two of you can stay in the family home alone and treat it with respect.
If you can achieve these things and pass these hurdles, then bird nesting might hold great benefits for you.
