Many people in Kentucky are familiar with the term “co-parenting” or shared custody, which means that separated parents continuously work together and participate in their child’s upbringing. Though co-parenting is said to be better for children of a divorce, it can be difficult to figure out a custody schedule if each parent wants equal time with the kids. Luckily, there are some good options for parents doing a 50-50 custody split.

When parents separate, it can be hard for children, particularly younger children, to suddenly go without seeing one of their parents for many nights in a row. For this reason, a good custody schedule would be one where children go as few days as possible between parents. If it is convenient and easy enough, children can go between houses every two to three days with parents alternating between having custody for two or three days.

A slightly more manageable schedule is the 3-4-4-3 schedule. Here, children would go no longer than four nights without seeing one of their parents, and since there are less frequent switches than on the 2-2-3 schedule, it would also be easier to transport kids from one parent’s home to another during the school week. Though the 2-2-3 and 3-4-4-3 schedules may seem a bit challenging, they are better for children’s emotional well-being than options such as trading parents every other week.

There is no rule saying that parents are required to split custody evenly, and many may find that something akin to a 60-40 split works better for their schedules. Of course, there are other things to consider when creating a co-parenting plan. A family law attorney in Kentucky may help create a detailed custody schedule that takes multiple things into account, such as the parents’ plan for shared custody on holidays and birthdays.