What should go into your parenting time schedule?
The parenting time schedule is the calendar that shows when the child is with each parent. It is also commonly called the custody and visitation schedule. Some states call it the parenting time schedule because they want to get away from the terms “custody” and “visitation”. There really isn’t any difference–just semantics. You do want to find out what type of language your state prefers, though, because that impacts the parenting plan and custody agreement. Some courts won’t accept a plan that says custody and visitation schedule–they want the plan to say parenting time schedule.
Anyway, once you have the language figured out, you can move on to actually created the schedule. Parenting time schedules generally include three parts:
- The repeating cycle of parenting time,
- A holiday schedule, and
- Vacation time and special events
The repeating cycle of parenting time is the foundation for the schedule. This is the basic arrangement of when the child is with each parent. It is usually easiest for the parents to figure out arrangements for a few weeks, and then repeat those weeks of arrangements through the year.
The holiday schedule shows where the child is during the holidays. Parents can make this schedule according to what holidays they want to include. They need to determine the length of the holiday–when it starts and stops–and then divide the holidays between the parents.
Vacation time can go into the schedule in a few ways. Sometimes parents change the repeating cycle during the child’s vacations from school. So, for summer break the mother and father may shift the regular schedule. Parents can also add time in the schedule when they are allowed to take the child on vacation. The mother and father can schedule this right into the schedule, or they can include this as a provision in their parenting plan. Special events are any times that the normal schedule changes. Parents can add these to the schedule as they come up.