ParentPact
Custody schedule guide
50/50 custody schedules, with two-week calendars
A 50/50 custody schedule splits parenting time equally, usually over a repeating two-week cycle: each parent has seven of the fourteen nights. The cycle is the same every fortnight, so everyone, including the kids, can predict where they will be.
There are four patterns most parenting plans use. They differ in how often the children move between homes and how long they go without seeing each parent. The calendars below start on Monday; "A" and "B" are the two parents.
Updated 2026-10-12. General information, not legal advice; your parenting plan or court order decides.
Week on, week off (alternating weeks)
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) |
| Week 2 | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) |
The children spend a full week with one parent, then a full week with the other. Exchanges happen once a week, often on Friday after school or Monday morning, so the school can be the hand-off point.
Works well
- The fewest exchanges of any 50/50 schedule
- Simple to remember and to plan travel around
- Works well when the homes are far apart
Watch out for
- Seven days without seeing the other parent is long for young children
- A missed week (illness, a trip) means two weeks apart
2-2-3
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) |
| Week 2 | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) |
Two days with one parent, two with the other, then a three-day weekend with the first. The next week the order flips, so each parent alternates weekends and no one goes more than three days without seeing either parent.
Works well
- Short gaps, which suits babies, toddlers and preschoolers
- Every other weekend with each parent
Watch out for
- Three exchanges a week
- Weekday nights change from week to week, which makes activities harder to schedule
- Works best when the homes are close together
2-2-5-5
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) |
| Week 2 | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) |
Each parent keeps the same two weekdays every week (here, A has Monday and Tuesday, B has Wednesday and Thursday) and the weekends alternate. That creates five-day stretches with each parent.
Works well
- The same weekdays every week, which makes school routines and activities easy
- Fewer exchanges than 2-2-3
Watch out for
- Five days apart can be long for very young children
- Still needs homes close enough for school runs from both
3-4-4-3
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | A (Parent A) |
| Week 2 | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | A (Parent A) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | B (Parent B) | A (Parent A) |
One parent has three days and the other four, then the split reverses the following week. Over the fortnight each parent has seven nights. In the version shown, Parent B always has Saturday and Parent A always has Sunday.
Works well
- Predictable blocks with two exchanges a week
- No one goes more than four days without seeing either parent
Watch out for
- The midweek exchange day shifts each week
- Weekends are split rather than whole
Which 50/50 schedule fits your child's age?
Child-development guidance that family courts often draw on points the same way: the younger the child, the shorter the time away from either parent should be. Babies and toddlers tend to do better with the short gaps of 2-2-3. School-age children often settle into 2-2-5-5 or 3-4-4-3, where the weekdays are predictable. Teenagers frequently prefer week on, week off, with fewer moves and more say in the plan.
Every child is different, and the right schedule also depends on distance between homes, work hours and how well the two of you can coordinate. Many families change schedules as children grow.
Making any schedule work
- Write the pattern, the exchange time and the exchange place into your parenting plan.
- Decide in advance how holidays and school breaks override the regular schedule (see the holiday custody guide).
- Agree on swaps in writing, not in a hallway conversation, so there is no dispute later about what was agreed.
- Keep one shared calendar that both parents can see, instead of two private ones.
Setting it up in ParentPact
ParentPact's shared calendar has built-in rotations for week on/week off, 2-2-3 and alternating weekends. One parent proposes the rotation and the other accepts it, so the schedule on both phones is the one you both agreed to. Holidays, vacations and parenting time you trade can be added as their own calendar events, and every change is logged.
Before you ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common 50/50 custody schedule?
Week on, week off is the simplest and is very common for school-age children and teens. For younger children, 2-2-3 and 2-2-5-5 are widely used because they keep the time away from each parent shorter.
Is 2-2-5-5 better than 2-2-3?
Neither is better in general. 2-2-3 gives younger children shorter gaps; 2-2-5-5 keeps each parent's weekdays the same every week, which many families with school-age children find easier for routines and activities.
Does a 50/50 schedule mean no child support?
Not necessarily. Child support depends on your state's guidelines, both parents' incomes and other factors, not just parenting time. Ask a family-law attorney in your state.
Can we change our custody schedule later?
Parents can agree to a change, but if your schedule is part of a court order, the change usually needs to be approved by the court to be enforceable. Put any agreed change in writing.
Keep reading
Keep the schedule, and the conversation, in one place
ParentPact gives both parents one shared calendar, tone-checked messages and a permanent record. One subscription covers the family.
Free to download · One subscription covers both parents · Android coming soon