Every other weekend
Every other weekend gives one home about 287 nights a year and the other 78, with alternate Friday-to-Sunday stays and two handoffs every two weeks.
Two weeks at a glance
| Night | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | A | A | A | B | B | B |
| Week 2 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
Each box is a night. A is the first home, B the second; swap them if the other parent starts.
Nights a year
287 / 78
Changeovers
2 every 2 weeks
Longest stretch
11 / 3 nights
School nights (of 10)
A 9 · B 1
Weekend nights (of 4)
A 2 · B 2
Two summer weeks each
279 / 86 nights
Try your own version, with holidays and extra nights, in the parenting-time calculator.
How the Every other weekend works
Every other weekend, often written as 79/21, keeps one home as the main base and the other for alternate weekends. In week one, the child sleeps at Home A Monday to Thursday, then at Home B Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In week two, the child sleeps at Home A every night. Then the cycle repeats.
Over 14 nights, Home A has 11 and Home B has 3, or about 287 and 78 nights a year. The longest stretch is 11 nights at Home A and 3 at Home B. There are two changeovers every two weeks, usually Friday and Monday. Talk about the weekend as normal family time, not a visit, because the words you use shape how settled the child feels.
A two-week cycle, night by night
Week one: Monday to Thursday at Home A, Friday to Sunday at Home B. Week two: all seven nights at Home A. The next Friday starts the pattern again.
School nights, Sunday to Thursday, split nine at Home A and one at Home B every two weeks. Weekend nights, Friday and Saturday, split two and two. That is why the schedule can feel weekend-heavy to Home B even though the yearly count is lopsided.
Across a year, the basic count is 287 nights at Home A and 78 at Home B. Add two summer weeks at each home and it shifts to 279 and 86. Use those numbers for planning, then put actual dates on a shared calendar. Holidays, travel and sick days will move them.
Who it tends to suit
This schedule suits families where one home is the clear weekday base, often near school or tied to a parent's shifts. It also works when one parent travels or has a roster that makes midweek handoffs hard. The child gets a steady school-week routine and a predictable weekend home.
Age matters, but not simply. Younger children often cope better with shorter gaps between seeing each parent. School-age children and teens often prefer fewer changeovers and a main base. Children develop at different speeds, so watch your own child rather than a template.
Distance is the practical test. Twenty minutes apart makes a Friday handoff easy. Two hours apart may mean the weekend home handles Friday and Saturday nights with a Sunday return, plus a midweek call. This is general information, not legal advice. Your parenting agreement, a mediator or a family lawyer can help you decide what fits.
Handoffs, school nights and activities
Handoffs go better when they are boring. Pick a fixed place and time: the school gate on Friday, the front step at 5:30, or a coffee shop halfway. Keep it short. “Have a good weekend. I will see you Monday at school.” Do not discuss money or old arguments in front of the child.
Pack on Thursday night. Keep a duplicate charger, toothbrush and sports kit at each home if you can. A small bag the child can carry builds independence; a giant suitcase feels like moving house every two weeks. Tell the teacher if the child comes from the other home on Monday.
Keep one shared list of activities. If football is Saturday morning at Home B, Home A should still know the time and kit. If a party falls on a Home A weekend, agree who drives. Do not make the child the messenger. “Ask your other parent” puts less pressure on a child than a detailed message.
Holidays and summer
Holidays usually override the regular pattern. Christmas, Thanksgiving, spring break and long weekends are often split in your parenting agreement. Put holiday dates on the calendar at the start of the year. If a holiday falls on your weekend, agree the swap in writing with dates, not in a rushed text.
Summer is the big one. Two weeks at each home gives the child a longer block with each parent. The annual count becomes about 279 nights at Home A and 86 at Home B. That still leaves most school nights at Home A but gives Home B real daily life, not just weekends.
Book summer dates early and share them before you pay a deposit. If you cannot agree, a mediator can help with the calendar. For anything legal, speak to a family lawyer. Courts and local rules decide how holidays are handled if you cannot agree.
Making it work for your children
Make the school week at Home A predictable: homework at the same time, bedtime at the same time, kit by the door. Make the weekend at Home B predictable too. A child who knows what happens after Friday handoff settles faster.
Phone calls help if they have a routine. A short call after school or before bed is often better than a long one that ends in tears. Let the child lead. If they do not want to talk, send a photo and try again tomorrow. Do not quiz them about the other home.
Let the child take a comfort item, a favorite cup or a photo. Keep screen and bedtime rules roughly similar, not identical. Expect wobbles at a new school year or when friendships change. Talk to the other parent early and keep the child out of the middle. The goal is not a perfect split but a child who feels loved in both homes.
TaskFamily runs the Every other weekend for you: each child's week follows it, the right chores and reminders appear at the right home, swaps need the other parent's approval, and there is a reminder before every handoff.
Free for one household. The Co-parent plan covers both homes for $19 a month - $9.50 each when two parents split it.
Questions parents ask
How many nights a year is every other weekend?
With a 79/21 schedule, the child spends about 287 nights a year at the main home and 78 at the weekend home. That is based on 365 nights and does not count holiday changes. If you add two summer weeks at each home, the count moves to about 279 and 86.
Is every other weekend enough for a child to feel settled?
It can be, especially if the weekend home is reliable and the child has regular contact in between. Younger children often cope better with shorter gaps, so a midweek call or overnight can help. School-age children and teens often prefer fewer changeovers. Every child is different, so watch how yours settles over a month or two.
Who pays for travel on an every other weekend schedule?
This is usually set by your parenting agreement or a court order, not by a general rule. Many families split travel costs or have the parent whose weekend it is do the driving. If you cannot agree, a mediator or family lawyer can help. Keep receipts and write down what you decide.
How do holidays work when we have every other weekend?
Holidays usually take priority over the regular schedule and are written into your parenting agreement. Agree the dates early and confirm swaps in writing. Summer often includes two weeks at each home, which changes the annual count to about 279 nights at Home A and 86 at Home B. Check your own order for the details.
Compare other schedules
| Schedule | Split | Changeovers / 2 weeks | Longest stretch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternating weeks (7-7) | 50/50 | 2 | 7 nights |
| 2-2-3 schedule | 50/50 | 6 | 3 nights |
| 2-2-5-5 schedule | 50/50 | 4 | 5 nights |
| 3-4-4-3 schedule | 50/50 | 4 | 4 nights |
| Alternating weeks with a midweek overnight | 50/50 | 6 | 4 nights |
| 4-3 schedule | 57/43 | 4 | 4 nights |
| 5-2 schedule (school week and weekends) | 71/29 | 4 | 5 nights |
| Every other weekend plus a midweek overnight | 64/36 | 6 | 6 nights |
| Extended every other weekend | 71/29 | 2 | 10 nights |
| Every other weekend | 79/21 | 2 | 11 nights |
Read more: co-parenting schedules explained · parenting plan builder
Nights, changeovers and stretches are calculated from the pattern itself, with the same arithmetic as our parenting-time calculator; the guide text is drafted with AI from those numbers and checked automatically before it is published. This is general information, not legal advice. Updated November 6, 2026.