Planning for Parenting Time: Ohio's Guide for Parents Living Apart

Child Development and Suggested Parenting Schedules
Schedules 12 and 13
include overnights.
Schedules 12 and 13 are for
parents who:
• Have cared for the child
nearly equally, or
• Both know how to care
for the child overnight,
or
• Live close enough to
each other that the child
will not have long car
trips between the homes,
or
• Can communicate and
cooperate with each
other about the child’s
care and well-being, or
• Have successfully
followed Schedule 11 for
a while.
12
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Schedule 12: Split each week and weekend. (See a
sample schedule on page 20.)
Comment: This schedule provides a consistent
routine and accommodates a young child’s ability to
be apart from either parent for three to four days. It
also allows the child to have a “stay-home” day
(Saturday or Sunday) with each parent each week,
which is helpful to many young children. If parents
dislike not having full-weekend parenting time, the
schedule may be modified to allow full weekends
during the summer or on holidays. If desired, parents
may alternate exchanges so one week one parent has
three overnights and the other has four overnights and
the next week the number of overnights is reversed.
Schedule 13: Each parent has the same two
consecutive weekday overnights each week and
alternates the weekends. (See a sample schedule on
page 21.)
Comment: This schedule provides each parent with
alternating full weekends with and without the
children. The children are away from each parent
during alternate weeks for five days, which may be
difficult for some children this age. This is commonly
referred to as a 5-2-2-5 schedule. This schedule is
ideal when older siblings would benefit from this
schedule. This schedule is helpful when the parents’
level of conflict makes exchanges difficult, because
all exchanges can take place at day care.
Vacation: Each parent may have up to 10 days in
town or out of town each year or two one-week
periods separated by at least three weeks. At least 30
days before the planned vacation, each parent must
give the other parent written notice of the travel
dates. At least 3 days before travel, each parent must
give detailed information to the other parent,
including the places they will be going and how to
reach the child or the parent during the vacation.
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