Summer Bank Holiday for Separated Parents

Summer Bank Holiday lands on the last Monday in August (except in Scotland, where it's on the first Monday). It marks the end of the summer season.

Many Brits take a trip over the long weekend to get the last of the summer sun. Others choose to spend time at home cleaning and renovating before the autumn.

Separated parents may both want to spend Summer Bank Holiday with their child before the hectic school schedule starts, so make sure your residence and contact schedule includes fair arrangements.

Scheduling options for separated parents

If Summer Bank Holiday lands within your child's school holiday, you may already have a summer custody schedule in place. Nonetheless, you can override it with plans specifically for this long weekend. You have many options to choose from.

Give the long weekend to one parent

Many children of separated parents reside with one parent and have contact (i.e., visits) with the other. The long weekend could be an opportunity for your young one to spend quality time with the parent they don't see as often.

Or you could simply allow the child to stay with the parent who already has custody at the start of the weekend.

Split the long weekend

You can split the long weekend to give parents nearly equal time.

The first option below has the child staying with one parent from Friday afternoon until Sunday at midday and visiting with the other from midday Sunday to Tuesday morning.

This second option is for families in which one parent can be home on Friday; it has the child spend all of Friday and Saturday with that parent and Sunday and Monday with the other.

Focus on Monday

If only one parent has something planned for Summer Bank Holiday, consider allowing the child to spend the day with them.

Or you can split the day. The child would spend Monday morning with the parent with whom they stayed on Sunday night, then spend Monday afternoon with the other parent.

Alternatively, you could switch who gets the day each year.

The easiest way to make a holiday contact schedule

There's a lot to think about when you build a holiday schedule. You'll want it to address weekend and midweek holidays, reflect special occasions unique to your family (like birthdays) and work for years to come.

The Custody X Change app makes it easy. Just open your Custody X Change calendar and follow our steps to make a holiday schedule.

To make a residence and contact schedule quickly and affordably, turn to Custody X Change. In no time, you'll have written and visual versions that include the holidays you care about.