After you and your spouse get divorced, you will both be out on your own, right? Odds are that nothing sounds less likely to you than the fact that the two of you could share a home. But could that be exactly what you do?
Some couples do it, though they do not live in the home at the same time. They do it to give their children stability. They share the house by living in it and taking care of the kids on alternating schedules. They’re not there together, as they were when they were married, but someone is always with the children. This is often called birdnesting.
The stability this offers the kids is real, as they never have to move in or out. They don’t have to live in two different neighborhoods and two different houses. They pretty much feel like life is continuing as normal, save for the fact that it’s just Mom or Dad with them at any time, rather than both.
This is nothing more than a unique way to look at custody. Traditionally, the children move to the parents. With birdnesting, the parents move to the children. Reversing the roles means that children don’t have to deal with the stress and confusion of a living change at the same time that the rest of their family life is also changing.
Maybe this idea still sounds too far-fetched to you. Maybe it sounds like an incredible solution. No matter where you stand, just be sure you know about all of the options you have when you and your spouse work out that custody arrangement.
