It makes sense that children benefit the most from having both parents involved in their lives. This is why many divorced or separated parents in Illinois opt for a joint child custody arrangement. Many times, creating an appropriate parenting time schedule is one of the most important and challenging parts of co-parenting. Here are some of the more popular parenting schedules and their benefits.
Biweekly parenting schedule
In a biweekly parenting schedule, the children spend an entire week living with each parent at a time. A biweekly routine is often a good fit for those with older kids who have busier schedules or when parents live further apart from one another. For some parents, a drawback to a biweekly schedule is that it creates long stretches of parenting time. Some families in a biweekly arrangement often integrate a mid-week visit or overnight stay with the other parent so that neither parent goes a full week without seeing the children.
2-2-3 parenting schedule
In a 2-2-3 schedule, the children are with one parent for two days, then the other parent for two days and then go back to the first parent for a three-day weekend. The routine will start over, with the other parent keeping the children for two days, only flipping the routine. A 2-2-3 rotation enables parents to evenly split time with the children, just like the biweekly routine. A big benefit to a 2-2-3 schedule is that parents and children are together more frequently as opposed to long stretches apart. However, this type of schedule can be challenging for parents who do not live close, as children will need to be transported between homes more often.
As children grow and change, parenting schedules may also need to change. Parents in Illinois who have questions or need help with allocating parental time and/or responsibilities may want to consider speaking with a trusted legal representative. A seasoned family law attorney can help guide clients through the often difficult process of creating a parenting plan.