As a parent, you always want what is best for your children. When you decided to file for a divorce, you no doubt had concerns regarding the impact your decision would have on your children’s lives. Like many Arkansas parents who have gone through similar experiences, you were hoping to create a child custody plan with your ex that caused the least amount of disruption possible in your children’s daily life.
Many parents throughout the country have been trying a unique child custody option known as “bird nesting” or “nesting.” One of the greatest benefits of this type of arrangement is that it helps kids maintain a sense of routine and normalcy during an otherwise unsettling time. The foundation of bird nesting after a divorce is based on the home you and your ex shared during marriage.
A child custody plan where your kids keep the house
You won’t have to put a “for sale” sign up in the yard of your marital home if you decide to implement a nesting custody option. Your children will continue to live in the home. You and your ex will take turns living with them. You’ll want to work out an agreement for mortgage payments if you still owe a debt on the house.
When it’s not your turn to live with the kids, you will need to find a secondary residence. Some parents share the cost of a studio apartment. Others rent rooms from relatives, friends, Airbnb, etc., in a nearby location.
Familiarity and stability help children cope
Divorce isn’t easy for adults, so one can imagine how difficult it can be for children. Using a nesting child custody plan may help your children cope because they will continue to live in a familiar setting. They won’t have to lug their belongings back and forth between two households. Neither will they have to enroll in a new school. They will experience stability because they will have the same bedroom and many of the same daily routines they had before your divorce.
You and your ex will want to write out terms of agreement if you decide to try a nesting child custody plan after you settle your divorce. An Arkansas family court judge can approve your plan. Consider setting boundaries for privacy, such as each of you having a private room in the home that the other doesn’t enter. You’ll also want to discuss rules for dating, such as whether it’s okay to bring a new romantic partner into the home. If you’re unsure how to word your terms of agreement, you can seek assistance from an experienced legal representative.