When two Ohio parents go through a divorce, they may work hard to minimize the challenges that their children will face as they transition into their new lives. Though children do not lose their parents when divorces happen, they do lose the stability of having both of their parents living together under the same roof. A relatively new trend in child custody arrangements attempts to keep the same roof over kids’ heads after divorce while the parent who is with them changes.
Known as “bird nesting” or “nesting,” this trend involves allowing the child to remain in the family home, while the parents rotate who will live in the home with the child. First one parent will live with the child in the family home. When it is time for the other parent to have custody of the child the at-home parent leaves and the other parent moves into the home. The non-custodial parent then stays at a second home that the parents share but never reside in at the same time.
Birdnesting allows children to keep their rooms, their routines and their schools in the wake of their parents’ divorce. It allows them to preserve a sense of normalcy while their family lives are turned upside-down. Birdnesting is not a practice that will work for everyone, and those who do pursue it often do not rely on it to be a permanent solution to their custodial needs.
Figuring out how to support one’s children with the help of a co-parent can be one of the biggest stresses on a Dublin resident when they choose to go through a divorce. Birdnesting is an option that some may wish to investigate, but as with all child custody decisions it is important that parents discuss their questions with attorneys who work in the family law field.