Following your divorce, you and your ex may pursue birdnesting for your children. This allows them to continue living in your marital home until they graduate high school and move out. However, you should be sure that you do not accidentally derail this arrangement.
According to Psychology Today, a decision to pursue romance again following your divorce might cause significant damage if you invite your date home with you.
The pitfalls of bringing a date home
Child custody arrangements often involve discussion about who you should expose your children to, such as a new romantic partner. If you allow a date to come home with you without talking about it with your ex, repercussions could result.
For one thing, your children may not be ready for their parents to date other people. Your spouse might not want your children to see you with a new love interest. Additionally, the idea of you dating again could cause your ex some emotional distress if you have not brought up the subject before.
Taking steps to prevent discord
A discussion with your ex about how to handle your dating life around your children could keep your nesting arrangement on track. Your spouse may agree to a written plan for you and your ex to introduce your children to a new partner along with other rules about dating. Additionally, you and your spouse could agree to keep dating matters to non-parenting periods.
Situations involving divorced couples vary, so how you will handle possible issues in your custody arrangement may differ from other co-parents. Consider every possible option to maintain a good working relationship with your ex so your children can grow up with as little stress as possible.
