How a 2-2-3 custody schedule works
A clear example of the repeating pattern, its frequent handovers, and the practical questions to check before trying it.
By Tai
2 min read
How the 2-2-3 pattern works
A 2-2-3 custody schedule divides each week into three blocks. The children spend two days in Home A, two days in Home B, then three days in Home A. The homes reverse in the second week, so each has seven nights across the full fortnight.
A common example gives Monday and Tuesday to one home, Wednesday and Thursday to the other, and Friday to Sunday to the first. The following week uses the same days with the homes reversed. This means weekends alternate, but weekday responsibility also changes from week to week.
Follow any court order or agreed parenting plan that applies. This guide is general practical information, not legal advice about which arrangement a family should use.
A fortnight example
- 1Week one, Monday and Tuesday: Home A
- 2Week one, Wednesday and Thursday: Home B
- 3Week one, Friday to Sunday: Home A
- 4Week two, Monday and Tuesday: Home B
- 5Week two, Wednesday and Thursday: Home A
- 6Week two, Friday to Sunday: Home B
The pattern then starts again. Write the home beside every actual date before using it. A short number pattern can look simple while still causing confusion about which week is first, when a handover happens, or how a school holiday changes the ordinary cycle.
Check whether the frequent changes are practical
The longest block is three days, which may suit children who find a full week away from either home difficult. The tradeoff is more movement between homes. Bags, uniform, medication, homework, activity kit, and favourite belongings may need careful planning several times each week.
- Count the school and nursery journeys from each home
- Check whether handovers can happen through school or childcare
- List anything that cannot stay in both homes
- Map clubs, appointments, work, and travel onto real dates
- Agree how holidays and temporary swaps replace the normal cycle
Keep one version of the schedule
Choose a start date, a handover time, and a place for each change. Then record exceptions where both parents can see them. Parenting Apart includes a 2-2-3 template, a five week preview, and a shared calendar that shows which home the children are with on any given day.
Review the arrangement after several ordinary school weeks rather than after an unusual holiday. Look at sleep, forgotten items, travel time, school readiness, and how easily everyone can follow the calendar. The aim is a workable routine, not loyalty to a particular pattern name.
Common questions
Is a 2-2-3 schedule equal care?
Does every weekday stay with the same home?
When should handovers happen?
Written by Tai
Tai writes Parenting Apart guides on everyday messages, shared decisions, and handovers, focusing on clear, calm ways to keep the children's needs at the centre.