The 2-2-3 custody schedule

Never more than two or three nights apart. The most common 50/50 schedule for toddlers and preschoolers.

50/50

time split (50% / 50%)

7 / 7

overnights per 14 nights

6

exchanges per 14 nights

2-2-3 on a two-week calendar

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Week 1AABBAAA
Week 2BBAABBB
A = Parent AB = Parent BEach cell is one overnight. The pattern repeats every two weeks.
See 2-2-3 on your datesBuild a 12-month 2-2-3 calendar

Full guide: The 2-2-3 Custody Schedule: How It Works (With Calendar Examples)

Which ages the 2-2-3 schedule suits

Young children who struggle with long gaps away from either parent, where the two homes are close together.

  • Infants (0 to 18 months)●●○
  • Toddlers (18 months to 3)●●●
  • Preschool (3 to 5)●●●
  • School age (6 to 12)●●○
  • Teens (13+)●○○

Pros and cons of 2-2-3

Works well

  • No child goes more than three nights without seeing each parent
  • Each parent gets alternating weekends
  • True 50/50 over every two-week cycle

Watch out for

  • Three exchanges a week, so a lot of contact between parents
  • The weekday pattern flips each week, which is hard for school-age children to track
  • Needs both homes within easy reach of school or daycare

What your parenting plan should say

Describe the full cycle in days and times, not as a percentage. Name the parent who starts and the date the cycle begins, state where exchanges happen, and say that the holiday schedule overrides this one. Sample wording:

The children shall be in the care of Parent A from Monday after school until Wednesday morning, Parent B from Wednesday after school until Friday morning, and Parent A from Friday after school until Monday morning. The following week the pattern reverses, so that the parent who had the weekend has Wednesday to Friday, and the parent who had Monday to Wednesday has the weekend.

Adapt the day names and times to your family. This is sample wording, not legal advice for your case.

Write the 2-2-3 schedule into your agreement

The Complete Co-Parenting Kit includes the fillable parenting agreement with a ready-made schedule section, holiday clauses and a completion guide, plus the 30-Day Reset workbook and 20 message scripts for proposing a schedule to a reluctant co-parent.

See what is in the Kit ($297)

Delivered by email. 30-day money-back guarantee.

2-2-3 schedule: questions parents ask

Is the 2-2-3 schedule a true 50/50?

Yes. Over the two-week cycle each parent has seven overnights. Within a single week it is 4-3 one way and 3-4 the other, which is why the plan should describe the two-week cycle, not one week.

What age is 2-2-3 best for?

Most families use it for children aged roughly two to seven. Once school starts many families move to 2-2-5-5 or 5-2-2-5 so the weekdays stay fixed.

How many exchanges does 2-2-3 involve?

Six per fortnight, or three a week. Exchanging at school or daycare rather than at a parent's home removes most of the direct contact.

Does the weekend rotate in 2-2-3?

Yes. Each parent gets every other weekend (Friday to Monday), which is one of the pattern's main attractions.

What should the parenting plan say?

Write out the full fourteen-day rotation with exchange times and locations, say which parent starts the cycle on a named date, and add the holiday schedule that overrides it.

Other 50/50 schedules

  • 2-2-5-5: Fixed weekdays for each parent plus alternating long weekends. A gentle step up from 2-2-3.
  • 5-2-2-5: Each parent keeps the same two weekdays every week and weekends alternate. The most popular 50/50 for school-age children.
  • 3-4-4-3: Three nights, then four, then the reverse. Even time with a rotating weekend and only four exchanges a fortnight.
  • 3-3-4-4: Fixed three-night blocks for each parent, then the four-night weekend block alternates.

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