Custody schedule examples: choosing a pattern that fits your family
Alternating weeks, 2-2-3, 5-2-2-5, and every other weekend explained, with what each pattern means for children, school runs, and handovers.
By Tina
3 min read
What a custody schedule needs to do
A custody schedule answers one question for every day of the year: which home are the children in? A good schedule also keeps school runs manageable, keeps handovers predictable, and gives children enough time in each home to feel settled.
There is no single right pattern. The best choice depends on the children's ages, the distance between homes, work patterns, and what each child finds easiest. If you have a court order or agreed parenting plan, the schedule it sets takes priority over anything here.
Common schedule patterns
- Alternating weeks: children spend a full week in one home, then a full week in the other. Fewer handovers, but a longer gap from each parent.
- 2-2-3: two days in one home, two in the other, then three back in the first, swapping each week. Frequent contact with both homes, with more handovers.
- 5-2-2-5: the same two weekdays are always with the same home, and weekends alternate. Predictable school nights with a regular weekly rhythm.
- Every other weekend: children live mainly in one home and spend alternate weekends in the other, sometimes with a midweek visit.
Many families also use a custom pattern built around shift work, travel, or a child's activities. Whatever you choose, write it down in full so both homes are working from the same plan.
How to choose between them
- 1Start with the children's weekly routine: school, clubs, and regular appointments.
- 2Consider their age. Younger children often manage shorter gaps better, while teenagers may prefer fewer moves.
- 3Look at travel time between homes and school on each day of the week.
- 4Count the handovers each pattern creates, and where they would happen.
- 5Agree a date to review the schedule, such as the end of the school term.
Map a pattern onto the next five weeks before agreeing to it. Seeing real dates often shows problems, like a handover on a busy club night, that are easy to miss in the abstract.
Keeping the schedule visible to both homes
Parenting Apart builds the shared calendar from a repeating 14 day cycle. You can start from alternating weeks, every other weekend, 2-2-3, or 5-2-2-5, adjust individual days, and preview the next five weeks before saving. Both parents then see the same schedule, including handover days.
Holidays usually follow their own arrangement. Our guide to planning school holidays across two homes covers how to layer those on top of the regular pattern.
Common questions
What is a 2-2-3 custody schedule?
Which custody schedule is best for young children?
Can we change the schedule later?
Written by Tina
Tina writes Parenting Apart guides on holiday schedules, shared expenses, and keeping family records organised, with practical steps that make arrangements between two homes easier to follow.