Common Parenting Time Schedules

“Parenting time” refers to “the time a parent spends with a child regardless of the custodial designation regarding the child.” Minn. Stat. § 518.003, subd. 5 (2024).

Common Parenting Time Schedules

2-2-3 Parenting Time

In the 2-2-3 schedule, your child lives with one parent for 2 days of the week, spends the next 2 days with the other parent, and then returns to the first parent for 3. The next week it switches. This schedule is beneficial in that the child never spends more than 3 days away from either parent. The downfall is that there is more back and forth between households and no set days of the week that the child is with either parent.

2-2-5-5 Parenting Time

In the 2-2-5-5 schedule, your child lives 2 days with one parent, then 2 days with the other parent, followed by 5 days with the first parent, and 5 days with the second parent. The benefits of this schedule include a more consistent schedule as the child is always with one parent Monday – Wednesday and always with the other parent Wednesday – Friday. The downfall of this schedule is that the child will not see the other parent for 5 day stretches.

Alternating Weeks or Week On / Week Off

The alternating weeks (or week on/week off) schedule is a 50/50 residential schedule. Your child spends 1 week with one parent and the next week with the other parent. This repeats throughout the year. This schedule offers less transitions for the child, but also has the child going 7 days without seeing each parent.