Mom and dad get divorced and the kids begin a nomadic existence, moving from one house to another on a regular schedule: Different beds, new friends, different toys, and who forgot to bring their homework?
But what if the kids stay in one place and the adults come and go? That's the idea behind bird nesting, where the kids, like hatchlings in a nest, stay put while mom and dad take turns occupying the house.
A study in the UK showed that about 11 percent of parents have tried it, according to Good Housekeeping.
For kids, their lives barely change since their schedules stay the same and they enjoy the same surroundings at all times. There aren't any dramatic differences between mom's house and dad's house.
The downside is that it requires divorced parties to agree to share a mortgage on a house they only live in part of the time, while maintaining some other living arrangements elsewhere — a costly situation that may not always be possible. Some former couples have coped by maintaining a joint apartment that they share when not living in the house with the kids. This solution probably wouldn't work for people in extreme conflict.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.