Learn · Schedules

The 2-2-5-5 custody schedule

Also called 5-2-2-5, this pattern keeps certain weekdays with the same parent and alternates weekends. Each parent has seven nights across a complete two-week cycle.

By CoFam · Updated September 27, 2026

Choose a pattern, then check the dates together.

Two-week example

2-2-5-5

Mon, Sep 28, 2026 – Sun, Oct 11, 2026

Week starts

Mom7 of 14 nights50% of overnights

Dad7 of 14 nights50% of overnights

These are overnight counts, not hours or pickup times.

One-time calendar file (.ics)

The download has a “Night with…” marker for each date. It does not sync, set pickup times, or update your CoFam account.

September 28

MonSep 28Mom
TueSep 29Mom
WedSep 30Dad
ThuOct 1Dad
FriOct 2Mom
SatOct 3Mom
SunOct 4Mom

October 5

MonOct 5Mom
TueOct 6Mom
WedOct 7Dad
ThuOct 8Dad
FriOct 9Dad
SatOct 10Dad
SunOct 11Dad

Pattern begins Mon, Sep 28, 2026 with Mom. Holidays and one-off changes are not included. Add agreed handoff times separately.

Made with CoFam · getcofam.com/tools/custody-schedule-planner

Change the starting date to see this pattern on your calendar. The preview counts overnights; agree pickup times and holiday changes separately. Open the full free planner.

Two names, one repeating pattern

The names 2-2-5-5 and 5-2-2-5 describe this fixed-weekday rotation from different starting points. The name alone does not set the dates: the starting date and parent matter too. Our Monday-start example begins with two nights for Mom. Check the actual calendar when comparing a differently named example or an existing arrangement.

A Monday-start example

Mom has Monday and Tuesday every week; Dad has Wednesday and Thursday. In week one, Friday through Sunday is with Mom. In week two, those weekend nights are with Dad. Plan 13 in the Arizona Supreme Court’s sample schedules illustrates this fixed-weekday arrangement under the name 5-2-2-5. Choosing another start date in the planner shifts these weekday assignments.

Follow the five nights across Sunday

Mom’s first Friday, Saturday and Sunday join the next Monday and Tuesday: five consecutive nights. Dad’s Wednesday and Thursday then join his Friday through Sunday. Count from one change of home to the next, rather than restarting at the beginning of each calendar week.

Weigh predictable weekdays against longer stays

A Tuesday activity stays with the same parent in this example, which may make work and school planning simpler. Each home also has a five-night stretch. Consider how those longer stays work for the children, along with travel, school items and activities. Agree on pickup arrangements for the fixed weekdays and alternating weekends.

Compare it with 2-2-3 on the same dates

Select “Compare another pattern” in the planner to see this schedule beside 2-2-3. Both options use your selected starting date and parent. With 2-2-3, the weekday assignments switch in week two; here they stay fixed. Compare changes of home and longest stays as well as the equal overnight totals, then print the examples you want to discuss.

Add the details the calendar cannot settle

Use the free schedule discussion sheet to note handoff times, places, transport and school-closure arrangements. Write down holiday exceptions and open questions separately. The planner shows repeating overnights; it does not include those exceptions or calculate hours of care.

Does this always give each parent half the nights?

It gives seven nights each over a complete fourteen-night cycle before exceptions. A calendar month or shorter range can cut through the cycle and look uneven.

Does five nights mean Monday through Friday?

No. In the Monday-start example, Mom’s five-night block runs Friday through Tuesday; Dad’s runs Wednesday through Sunday.

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