Custody schedule

The Week-on / week-off schedule

The child spends one full week with each parent, switching on the same day every week.

50/50

overnight split

night cycle

182

nights a year (parent A)

The rotation

A = one parent, B = the other. Each cell is one overnight. This rotation divides regular school-year overnights 50/50 — about 182 and 182 nights a year.
Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
2	B	B	B	B	B	B	B

Who it tends to suit

School-age children and teens, parents who live close enough that one school run works from either home, and parents who can go a week without needing to coordinate.

The honest trade-off

The simplest 50/50 schedule to run and the easiest to explain to a child — but a week is a long time away from a parent for a young child, and one forgotten backpack can strand a school project for seven days. Most plans using it add a midweek dinner or call with the other parent.

Exchanges

Exchanging on Friday after school gives each parent a full weekend; exchanging Sunday evening or Monday morning keeps the school week intact.

Also called: alternating weeks, 7-7, 50/50 weekly.

Build a plan with this schedule Count the overnights

Compare with

2-2-3 (50/50)2-2-5-5 (50/50)3-4-4-3 (50/50)Nesting (birdnesting) (50/50) All schedules →