What are the best summer co-parenting schedules?

Summer is nearly here, which means divorced parents may have to rearrange their custody and visitation schedules. With shared custody, things have to be adjusted to accommodate the child’s summer schedule. These are some of the potential co-parenting schedules for summertime.

Changing the parenting schedule for summer

After a divorce, parents agree to a custody schedule that works for everyone. However, once the summer arrives and the child is off from school, they might have a variety of other activities going on such as summer camp. Depending on the child’s age, the parents can adjust their co-parenting schedule in different ways. Parents’ schedules can also change as vacations and other occasions come up. All of these factors help determine how custody should be rearranged for the season.

The best way for parents to come up with a summer parenting schedule is to plan ahead and communicate often. All upcoming events should be factored in when creating the plan. Working together can help the parents create the best schedule for the child and themselves.

Potential summer schedules

Changing the co-parenting schedule for the summer doesn’t have to be challenging. Older kids are often able to do well with the alternating weeks schedule, which allows them to spend one full week with one parent and then switch to spend another week with their other parent. A good alternative to that plan is the 5-2 schedule, which lets the child spend five days with one parent and the remaining two days of the week with the other. After that week, the parents switch off.

Younger children are more susceptible to developing separation anxiety while away from a parent for a full week, so the parenting schedule should be modified. The 2-2-3 schedule is very flexible and can work for many families. The child is with one parent for two days, with the other the following two days and then back with the first parent for three days. This schedule is often successful because the child gets to see both parents more frequently so they won’t miss them.