An impending divorce is tough on your entire family but if you have children, you want to uproot their lives and routines as little as possible. Birdnesting is a co-parenting concept where the children remain in the family home and the parents switch households periodically based on custody and visitation orders. Psychologists and judges approve of child-centric techniques like birdnesting because they focus on the physical and emotional needs of children during a difficult transition period in their lives. Benefits Birdnesting works best when parents are amicable and effective at managing a co-parenting relationship during and after divorce. While it may not be a perfect long-term solution for every family, some of the benefits include: Allowing your child to remain in the same home, school and community with little change to their daily lives Eliminating the need to transport your child between homes Saving money by not having to establish two complete child-friendly households Disadvantages While birdnesting is often the best situation for minor family members, it can be a significant expense and sacrifice for parents. Some of the challenges include: Sharing the family home (and possibly a separate dwelling) with your ex Spending money to maintain one or two additional houses or apartments Trusting your ex to follow the house rules while staying with the children Navigating new relationships while maintaining a non-traditional co-parenting plan It is important to understand your rights under Indiana family law if you are working to create an effective co-parenting plan with your former spouse.The post Is ‘birdnesting’ right for your family? first appeared on Bayliff, Harrigan, Cord, Maugans & Cox, P.C..