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Willing to give up your home to your ex?
Those who co-parent know the challenges. When your child spends one week with you and one week with your ex, it’s often hard to keep track of everything-- the homework, the school uniforms, the ballet shoes.
I hear these days more families are trying a concept called “nesting.’’ When you nest, it’s mom or dad who leaves the house and the kids stay put.
Some ex-partners get along so well that mom goes over to dad’s place for the week and vice versa. These are parents who don't live with partners, of course.
My daughter's dad lives out of town so it's geographically impossible for us to try this.
But I'd like to hear more about co-parenting arrangements that work. I came across the nesting concept in the book Shared Parenting: Raising Your Children Cooperatively After Separation.
I can see how it would benefit the kids. They don't have to be uprooted from their friends on a weekend and can keep better track of their things. But are most parents willing to make the sacrifice?
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work...
Joy Oglesby has an infant daughter and a sister 13 years her junior, whom she babies to the now-adult...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s...
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters...
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters...
Anne Vasquez is the Online Editor in charge of overseeing SunSentinel.com. She is the mother of a 5-year-old boy and a newborn daughter.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces...
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 13, and Lily, 6, and is married...
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator, and father of two boys and a girl all under the age of seven.
Comments
The primary factor should be what works for the child. In our case, mom and I live within a mile from each other. We have thrown away any parental conflict in order to benefit the child. She goes to mom after school until I am done with work. I pick her up and she stays at my place until I take her to school in the morning. Mom has her on weekends until Sunday afternoon. We remain flexible and there are times my daughter wants to go to mom's house on "my" time. That is fine if mom is fine with it. Also, there are times mom and daughter need a break from each other. Daughter may then come to me outside the schedule. My advice is always to "keep your eyes on the prize" Govern parental behavior accordingly. Jeff
Posted by: Jeff M. Bauman | August 10, 2009 12:23 PM
The primary factor should be what works for the child. In our case, mom and I live within a mile from each other. We have thrown away any parental conflict in order to benefit the child. She goes to mom after school until I am done with work. I pick her up and she stays at my place until I take her to school in the morning. Mom has her on weekends until Sunday afternoon. We remain flexible and there are times my daughter wants to go to mom's house on "my" time. That is fine if mom is fine with it. Also, there are times mom and daughter need a break from each other. Daughter may then come to me outside the schedule. My advice is always to "keep your eyes on the prize" Govern parental behavior accordingly. Jeff- www.WestonChildPsychologist.com
Posted by: Jeff M. Bauman | August 10, 2009 12:25 PM
I agree with Jeff that flexibility is key and what's best for the child should come first.
Posted by: Georgia East | August 10, 2009 2:37 PM
To be a good co-parent I need my own space that I don't have to share with their annoying, demanding, controlling father. If parents get along well enough to "nest" why don't they just stay married?
Posted by: soon to be single mom | August 13, 2009 5:56 AM