Kids don’t get a say in whether or not their parents divorce. And yet, it’s often the children who bear the brunt of the disruption. One strategy for minimizing the upheaval in your kids’ lives is a parenting arrangement known as birdnesting. But what does a successful nesting plan look like? And how do divorcing couples navigate this kind of arrangement successfully?

Dr. Ann Buscho is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in family issues related to divorce, parenting, parenting plans and co-parenting counseling. Dr. Buscho has both personal and professional experience with nesting, co-parenting, step-parenting and single-parenting, and she is the author of The Parent’s Guide to Birdnesting: A Child-Centered Solution to Co-Parenting During Separation and Divorce.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Dr. Buscho joins Katherine to explain what a birdnesting parenting arrangement looks like and why it’s particularly helpful in the early stages of separation and divorce. She shares the top three things to consider in designing a parenting plan, offering advice on maximizing the child’s time with each parent and making the transitions as smooth as possible. Listen in for Dr. Buscho’s insight on minimizing your child’s exposure to conflict and learn what divorcing couples need to do to nest successfully.

Topics Covered

What a birdnesting arrangement looks like and how it works

Why nesting is particularly helpful in the early stages of separation and divorce

How nesting is usually transitional but can also be a long-term solution

Why explicit agreements are key to making a nesting arrangement go smoothly

How COVID forced many divorcing couples into nesting

Dr. Buscho’s top 3 things to consider in designing a parenting plan

The continuum from parallel parenting to collaborative co-parenting

Why parallel parenting is better than exposing kids to conflict

Dr. Buscho’s insight on maximizing the child’s time with each parent

How to make the transition between parents smoother for children of divorce

What divorcing couples need to do to nest successfully

Connect with Dr. Ann Buscho

Dr. Buscho’s Website: https://drannbuscho.com/

Dr. Buscho on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drannbuscho/

Dr. Buscho on Twitter: https://twitter.com/abuschophd

Connect with Katherine Miller

The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/

Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/

Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller: https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Guide-Collaborative-Divorce/dp/0692496246

Email: [email protected]

Call (914) 738-7765

Resources

The Parent’s Guide to Birdnesting: A Child-Centered Solution to Co-Parenting During Separation and Divorce by Ann Gold Buscho, PhD: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Parents-Guide-to-Birdnesting/Ann-Gold-Buscho/9781507214091

Dr. John Gottman: https://www.gottman.com/