[UAH] I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS STUPIDITY FOR IT SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK

Edmonton divorced parents design special duplex home for their kids

By Shereen Dindar | Shine On –

Monica McGrath, her children Sean and Audrey and their dad/her ex-husband Kent Kirkland. (Edmonton Journal)Divorce can conjure up some of the most heartbreaking and painful memories and experiences, especially for children. But like many things in life, divorce is what you make of it.

For one Edmonton divorced couple recently featured in the Edmonton Journal they have taken the highest of high roads in order to spare their 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter any unnecessary discomfort.

Monica McGrath and Kent Kirkland designed and built their own duplex home that has a special "transporter" hallway which links the two houses together.

The kids never change bedrooms. Their rooms are located in a hallway accessible to both homes with two locking fire doors at the end of corridor. When it’s dad’s week with the kids, mom locks the door on her end of the hallway. When it’s mom’s week, dad locks his hall door.

See all the photos of their specially-designed home here.

 “It was a lot of work to get here,” McGrath tells the Edmonton Journal. “There were hard feelings. But now I think we look out for each other. I don’t think we feel like single parents.”

The parents, who married in 1996 and divorced four years ago, came up with the joint home idea to overcome the daily hassles they faced in logistical arrangements when Kirkland initially had his own house.

They found that the children’s social, recreational and educational commitments often took a beating as something critical was forgotten at one house and another trip was required.

They were able to design and build this type of home because Kirkland's expertise as the owner of his own building company.

One of home's interesting features is that McGrath’s front door faces the front, while Kirkland’s faces one side, essentially hiding the duplex nature of the house. From the street it looks very much like one large home.

Their relationship appears anchored in strong dose of realism and duty towards the kids. It's as good as many would hope for parents of divorce.

“It’s not like we hang out together, without the kids,” says Kirkland. But McGrath adds, “I would say we are friends.”

They are fully aware of the implications of this arrangement including, but not limited to, the inevitability of one of them starting to date.

Comfortable in their arrangement, we wish them well. In today's age of high-flying divorce lawsuits with parents atop their soapboxes screaming bloody murder, Kirkland and McGrath deserve honours in the "character awards" of life.

 

 

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