In Michigan, about 20,000 couples divorced in 2021. For many of these couples, children and child custody is a concern. Determining how to coparent is challenging for all families, but there may be unique options, like birdnesting, that you have not considered.
Birdnesting is a coparenting arrangement that focuses on keeping kids in a stable environment within the family home.
How to set up the nest
To implement a birdnesting arrangement, the parents must choose a neutral location to live while the kids remain in the family home. Some parents choose a small apartment to rotate in and out of when not in the family home. The point is to keep the disruption minimal for children. The parents take turns staying with the kids, according to their parenting plan.
How to succeed at nesting
Nesting cannot happen without open and respectful communication between parents. Both parents should have a clear idea of the schedule, their children’s needs and any challenges that may occur. Parents may want to keep a shared journal at home to write down important events, changes to the kids’ schedules or any other details they want their former spouse to know. Parents must work together to keep the children’s schedules and routines consistent to make birdnesting work.
Nesting allows children to become used to the idea that their parents are no longer together. Despite it being a positive solution, it should remain a temporary one. Nesting situations that last more than six months could give children the wrong idea about their parents’ relationships.
