What week on, week off means
Each parent has the children for seven nights in a row, then the other parent has the next seven. There is one handoff a week, usually on the same day each time.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Week 2 | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
It is the simplest pattern to remember and the one with the fewest handoffs: two every two weeks, against six for 2-2-3. The cost is the length of time away. Each parent goes a full week without seeing the children.
Who it suits
- Older children and teenagers. A week is easier to manage once children can hold their own routine, and fewer moves mean fewer forgotten books and sports gear.
- Parents who live further apart. One handoff a week is workable across a longer drive or between school districts.
- Families who want fewer transitions. Every handoff is a change of house, bed and rules. Some children settle better with fewer of them.
Choosing the handoff day
Friday after school. Each parent gets a whole weekend at the start of their week. The school does the handoff, so the parents do not have to meet.
Sunday evening. The children start the school week in the house they will be in all week. It is a calmer Monday, but it means a face-to-face handoff every Sunday.
Monday morning at school. Like Friday, the school is the handoff, and the weekend stays with one parent.
Many families add a midweek dinner or an overnight with the other parent, so that no stretch apart is a full seven days.
Where it goes wrong
A week is long enough to lose the thread. By the time the children come back, the other parent has missed a doctor's visit, a bad night, a new word, the start of a cold. The usual answer is a long text at handoff, written from memory, and a lot of questions in return.
The fix is a record kept during the week rather than recalled at the end of it. In CoCoparent each parent logs the week as it happens, in a few taps, and the summary goes to the other home at handoff. Week on, week off is one of the schedules you can pick when you set up.
Variations to compare
- 2-2-5-5. Each parent keeps two fixed weekdays and the weekends alternate. Never more than five days apart.
- 2-2-3. Shorter stretches and more handoffs, often chosen for younger children.
- Week on, week off with a midweek visit. The same pattern with a dinner or overnight in the middle of the other parent's week.
Whichever pattern you use, the record of what happened during the other parent's days matters more than the pattern itself. That is what the app is for.