When setting up child custody, it can be difficult for parents to find an optimal solution. For one thing, they both have different schedules that they have to try to accommodate. They also need to consider what will be in the children’s best interests and what the children’s schedules look like. It can all get very complex.
Typically, when parents divide custody, it means that the children live in one house for a set amount of time, and then they move to the other house. The custody schedule tells them when to move between each home, based on which parent is responsible for them. An example could be children who live with their dad on the weekends and who live with their mom during the week.
But an alternative schedule is known as bird-nesting. Couples who do this move in and out of the home, but the children always live in the same house. What are some of the advantages of this unconventional schedule?
There’s less commuting for the children
Bird-nesting means that the children get to live in the same home all the time. This simply cuts back on the amount of time that they would spend in the car, going back and forth between homes. It makes everything go smoothly and prioritizes their time. This is especially helpful for high school children, who tend to have extracurricular activities.
It provides stability
Bird-nesting can also be a source of stability for children during the divorce. They still get to live near the same friends and neighbors. They still get to go to the same school. They’re still in the same bedroom where they grew up. All of this can just make divorce emotionally easier because moving out of the house is so jarring.
Children have everything that they need
Finally, bird-nesting means that children always have their school supplies, toys, electronics, clothing and everything else that they need. They really get to feel like they’re “at home,” not just living in a parent’s new house.
Bird-nesting only usually works for couples who are still on relatively amicable terms. But it helps to show why it’s so important to look into the legal options you have during a divorce.