Parenting Time Schedules: Creative Solutions for Your Kids

Before, during, and after divorce, it is important for children to spend time with both parents. To create the best possible schedule, consider your current family situation and your children’s needs. 

A comprehensive parenting plan will consider:

• where each parent lives, 
• the kids’ activities and routines, 
• time with grandparents, 
• and much more. 

There are a multitude of creative parenting time options. Below are several options for Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers, School-Age Children, and Teenagers. At The Aurit Center for Divorce Mediation, we help parents address their family’s unique needs–to include the care of children with special needs. 

Parenting plans help both parents set expectations regarding their time with the kiddos. It is also crucial that parents expect twists and turns. Life will throw surprises your way and flexibility is your superpower 🦸. As long as both parents remain focused on putting the children’s needs first and foremost, they will be able to help their children adapt.

Infant (Birth – 18 Months Old)

During infancy, parenting time with both parents is crucial. It is beneficial for infants to see each parent consistently throughout the week.

Babies develop quickly, and it is important for them to bond with each parent. Most often, parents decide that the infant will live primarily with one parent, while the other parent has visitations a few times a week. It is important that the nonresidential parent not be away for more than a few days at a time. What starts as a few in-home visits each week, as your child grows and develops, can transition into time in both parent’s homes. 

As the child moves away from infancy, you may consider :

 2-2-3 SCHEDULE

Infant spends:

2 Days with Parent A

2 Days with Parent B 

3 Days with Parent A

Then rotates to:

2 Days with Parent B 

2 Days with Parent A

3 Days with Parent B 

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
A	A	B	B	A	A	A
B	B	A	A	B	B	B
A	A	B	B	A	A	A
B	B	A	A	B	B	B

5-2 SCHEDULE

Infant spends:

5 Days with Parent A

2 Days with Parent B 

As Parent A has the child 70% of the time, you can choose to add a mid-week visit for Parent B.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
A	A	A	A/B	A	B	B
A	A	A	A/B	A	B	B

 

ALTERNATING EVERY 2 DAYS 

The child alternates between the two households every two days. This way, each parent sees the infant for an equal amount of time, a 50/50 parenting split.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
A	A	B	B	A	A	B
B	A	A	B	B	A	A
B	B	A	A	B	B	A
A	B	B	A	A	B	B

EVERY THIRD DAY 

The nonresidential parent spends every 3rd day with the child. This is a 70/30 parenting time split between parents. 

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
A	A	A	A/B	A	B	B
A	A	A	A/B	A	B	B

Toddler (18 Months – 3 Years Old)

Similar to infants, toddlers adapt best when they have consistent schedules and spend time with both parents. Routines are important as they learn and explore independence. They are constantly growing and developing. 

Additionally, toddlers become very attached to those who care for them, and this attachment is important to their development. Both parents should have caregiving responsibilities during this time in the child’s life. 

In addition to the parenting schedules listed above for infants, some possible parenting schedules for toddlers are:

4-3 or 4-3-3-4 SCHEDULE

Toddler spends:

4 Days with Parent A

3 Days with Parent B 

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
A	A	A	A	B	B	B
A	A	A	A	B	B	B

4-3-3-4 SCHEDULE

Toddler spends:

4 Days with Parent A

3 Days with Parent B 

3 Days with Parent B 

4 Days with Parent A

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
A	A	A	A	B	B	B
B	B	B	A	A	A	A
A	A	A	A	B	B	B
B	B	B	A	A	A	A

Preschooler (3 – 5 Years Old)

Children at this age also need consistency, and bonding with caregivers continues. Preschoolers begin to enjoy spending time with their peers. Still, separation can be difficult for three to five-year-olds, and parents can gently prepare their kids for transitions. 

When it is time to exchange the children, parents can choose a neutral zone (such as a restaurant or park) to make the exchange. They can also lift their child’s spirits by using a secret handshake or a silly saying in place of ‘good-byes.” Parents can communicate with each other pleasantly and professionally. Let your child’s personality and development inform how you handle exchanges. 

In addition to each parenting schedule listed above for infants and toddlers, some possible parenting schedules for preschoolers are: 

ALTERNATING WEEKENDS 

Preschooler spends:

1st Week with Parent A

1st Weekend with Parent A

2nd Week with Parent A

2nd Weekend with Parent B 

(Repeat) 

When choosing this parenting schedule, you can establish that the parent with 20% of the time can request visits periodically. 

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
B	A	A	A	A	A	A
A	A	A	A	A	A	B
B	A	A	A	A	A	A
A	A	A	A	A	A	B

ALTERNATE EVERY WEEK

Preschooler spends:

1 Week with Parent A

1 Week with Parent B 

(Repeat) 

Parents can add a midweek visit during the week they are not scheduled to care for the preschooler to increase the time spent with them per week.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
A	A	A	A	A	A	A
B	B	B	B	B	B	B

 

School Age (6 – 12 Years Old)

As children get older and begin to attend school, they become more independent and begin to spend extended periods of time away from home. 

Children in this age group begin to experience and learn to manage new emotions. Children may start to express their feelings and need support navigating new emotions, such as sadness or confusion. School-age children are better able to adapt to changing parenting schedules but still require involvement from both parents in their lives.

To safely explore their growing independence, children this age still like to have a parent nearby as they play soccer, play on the playground, or ride bikes. Common parenting schedules for six to 12-year-olds include alternating weekends, alternating weeks, every other weekend, and the 2-2-3 parenting schedules mentioned. 

In addition to each parenting schedule listed above for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, some possible parenting schedules for school-age children are: 

2 WEEKS EACH 

School-Age Child spends:

2 Weeks with Parent A

2 Weeks with Parent B 

(Repeat)

EVERY 3RD WEEK  

School-Aged Child spends:

2 Weeks with Parent A

1 Week with Parent B 

(Repeat)

1st, 3rd, 5th weekend or 2nd, 4th, 5th weekend – The child consistently lives with one parent but spends the 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekend of every month with their other parent. Parents may also choose this parenting schedule by having the second parent start their parenting time on the 2nd weekend of the month. For that schedule, the child would spend the 2nd, 4th, and 5th weekend with their nonresidential parent. The non-residential parent would spend about 20% of the parenting time with the child, while the residential parent would spend 80% of the time with the child.

Every 3rd weekend – The child lives with one parent (who spends a little more than 85% of the time with the child) but visits the other parent (who spends a little less than 15% of the time with the child) every 3rd weekend. 

Teenager (13 – 18 Years Old)

As children get older and become teenagers, they become more independent and require less consistency in their parenting schedules. They may set aside more time for friends, after-school activities, jobs, etc.—consequently minimizing the time spent with their parents. They may acquire more control over their parenting schedules and distribution of time. 

Teenagers still need the guidance of both parents and benefit most when both parents remain actively involved in their lives. Many teens are under social and emotional pressure, and it is more important than ever that parents do not put the kids in the middle of any conflict. Parents should communicate directly with one another so that the kids are not ‘caught in the middle’.

Some parenting schedules that work best for teens are the alternating weeks, alternating weekends, 1st/3rd/5th weekends, or 2nd/4th/5th weekends schedules. Depending on your family’s situation and your child’s age, you may decide that any of the previous parenting schedules would benefit your family best. Be sure to use your discretion when deciding what works best for your family.

In mediation at The Aurit Center, will help you develop a parenting schedule that will work best for you and your co-parent—whether listed above or a unique one that you and your co-parent created together. As your child gets older, the schedule will adapt and change along with your child. 

If you and your co-parent have difficulty agreeing on a parenting schedule, The Aurit Center For Divorce Mediation provides parenting mediation. The Aurit Center is dedicated to helping families by ensuring that the children’s best interests are prioritized.