Summer of 2023 is coming.
During the approximately two months of summer holidays, many co-parents will need to make alternative arrangements for their kids. If you have planned for a holiday trip already that overlaps with the other co-parents' custody period, you need to start having conversations soon on the new schedule. The core idea would be to keep things simple by finding a plan that works for you, your co-parent, and the children.
Common summer co-parenting schedule examples
Here are the four most common summer schedules for divorced parents, separated parents, and co-parents who have never been married.
2-2-3
Alternating weeks
Every two weeks
Whole summer
2-2-3 schedule
With this pattern, your child will spend two days with you, two days with their other parent, and then a long weekend with you.
Then it reversed: two there, two here, then a long weekend with their other parent.
Both you and your co-parent each get a long weekend every other weekend with the kids throughout the summer. You and your co-parent each see the kids frequently, and the kids don’t have to miss their other parent for too long.
This summer co-parenting schedule works well if you live close to your co-parent and your kids don’t mind switching back and forth. This works wonderfully with the little ones who don’t fully grasp time, or need support as they adjust to being apart. As the children get older and their lives get more complicated, they may want less frequent changeovers.
Alternating weeks
The kids stay with you all this week, and they stay with your co-parent next week.
Alternating solid weeks makes it really easy to keep track of the schedule, and it gives older kids a sense of consistency. It also gives you plenty of wiggle room for summer travel. And it works great if you want your child to attend that week-long tennis camp, even though your co-parent is more of a football person.
Younger children may struggle if they have to go a long time without seeing their other parent, so a common twist on this schedule is one midweek overnight at the other parent’s house.
Every two weeks
As the name says, the kids stay with each of you for two weeks and then switches over. This schedule allows for fewer transitions, allowing the kids to settle-in with each visit.
You could take a longer vacation, put together a 2,000-piece puzzle, or take a fishing trip. Mainly, you can just enjoy having your children stay with you for a longer period of time. This is helpful if you don’t live very close and reduces driving overload.
The whole summer at one co-parent
In some cases, one co-parent may have the primary parenting responsibility throughout the school year, and the other parent lives out of state or simply far away. Weekend or midweek visits are not always possible and in such situations, it might make sense for your child to spend the summer with the out-of-the-area co-parent.
This summer co-parenting schedule allows that co-parent to enjoy the kids all summer long, and it makes sure the children are building strong bonds with both the parents every year.
Planning for the Summer
Whatever pattern of summer co-parenting schdule you choose, reach a clear agreement with the other co-parent quickly and have it documented (if not already done). Try to communicate with your co-parent well before summer break begins (hint: now) , so that you two are on the same page before you get too far into planning. Focus on avoiding hostility and staying flexible as a co-parent while getting to the plan that suits all and foremost the kids.
Grown-up kids will want to know what to expect, too. Please get their input or at least hear their perspective before choosing a system. They might have summer plans you don’t know about, and you can work those plans into the summer co-parenting schedule.
If you run into major issues while planning for a summer co-parenting schedule, you can always speak with your lawyer or other family law professionals.
Setting a summer co-parenting plan with Kiido
We hope that this blog post helps you and your co-parent as you select the best co-parenting plan for summer vacation. This discussion could be easier if you communicate through Kiido, the app that promises to make co-parenting easier. Our tools reduce conflict by facilitating amicable communication—so your kids can have the best two homes.
Kiido's co-parenting calendar easily accommodates 2-2-3, alternate-weeks, two-weeks, and all-summer schedules. You can even create a separate calendar for summer break without touching your regular school-year calendar. If you need to discuss the schedule, you can communicate through the Conversations chat engine, which stores all messages permanently.
Hugs from team Kiido.