Parents in Texas who are getting a divorce may need to work out a schedule for custody and visitation. Most experts today suggest a plan that is as close to 50/50 as possible. However, when it comes to making up the schedule, not every 50/50 plan is equal.
The week-to-week schedule
Parents often default to a week-to-week visitation schedule. This is easy to remember and can work well in some circumstances, particularly with older children. But there are a number of reasons that it is often not ideal and those other arrangements can work better.
Alternative schedules
While a week may fly by for parents, it can seem like a long time to be without the other parent for children under 12, and they might even develop separation anxiety. Parents who want to stick with a 50/50 division might want to consider schedules in which children spend more time with one parent in one week and more time with the other parent the following week. These could be divided up as 2-2-3, giving the child five days with one parent and two with the other each week, or 3-4-4-3, giving the child three days with one parent and four with the other each week.
Alternatives to 50/50
There may also be situations in which despite the advantages of 50/50 time, it just isn’t feasible given the child’s needs and external forces, such as one parent’s work schedule. Parents in this situation may want to consider one parent having the child on weekdays and the other on weekends or something similar.
Finding the right schedule may take some experimentation. Parents also need to be open to change as the child gets older and their schedule and needs change. When parents prioritize the well-being of their children in this way, it often makes children’s adjustment less difficult.