Could you tell me about your contact arrangements ?

[KnotNora]

We currently do two overnights a week, a midweek and one night at the weekend. Midweek is 6pm to the next morning school drop off and weekend is Fri 6- Sat 6.

I'd like to change to every other weekend Fri-Sun 6pm and a midweek. So the same amount of time really but split over a different pattern.

I feel the transition would be easier on the DC, they'd have a larger block of time with ex and it frees up the weekend to do more stuff with them as every weekend isn't split between two parents and needing to get home.

Ex isn't keen at all as he likes it as it is and doesn't want to go for a longer period of time without seeing the DC.

Trying to get an idea of what other people do.

Thanks

Hi OP, DD1 has dinner and swimming with her dad every Tuesday, and goes to him eow 5pm Friday to 6pm Sunday. Works well for us. We don't do an overnight in the week because he doesn't want to, and he starts work really early so would be difficult logistically.

EOW is better I think as you then get quality weekend time twice a month and it's easier to plan ahead knowing which weekends are yours etc. It helps DD too as she always knows the plan.

1 weeknight, NRP collects from school and drops back at school the next day.

1 weekend night/day every weekend. This rotates, one week it's Fri evening - Sat evening, the next Sat late afternoon - Sun late afternoon (early evening club on a Fri so NRP collects after that).

Half all holidays.

Distances (about 10 miles / 30 mins travel) make this feasible.

It means on a day to day basis they see NRP at least part of 4 days a week

Last year we had a full weekend each every school term (Fri evening - Tue morning, as the weekday overnight is Monday) which worked well for arranging stuff that needs longer than a day, but we haven't yet sorted anything for this year.

Thank you.

Squirrel, that sounds quite like our arrangement. If you want a long weekend do you just let the other one know?

Last year we sorted the specific weekends at the beginning of the year, the more notice the better as then the other parent hasn't already made any arrangements, but other than that we'd just agree.

We haven't arranged any this year, I was fed up that we never seemed to be able to plan anything longer than a day as we either had to be back for 4.30pm Sat or only had Sun. To be honest we didn't really do anything with the full weekends they were with me, although I know they went to visit family when they had them with their dad. I think just knowing that we COULD do something was enough!