The 2-2-3 schedule is a 50/50 custody pattern where your child spends two days with one parent, two days with the other, then three days back with the first, and the blocks swap the following week so the split stays even over a fortnight. It suits younger children who do better with frequent contact, because no stretch away from either parent lasts longer than three days. It asks for two homes that are close together and handovers that stay calm.
How the 2-2-3 rotation works
The pattern runs in a two-week cycle. In week one, Parent A has the child for the first two days, Parent B for the next two, then Parent A for the final three. In week two it flips: Parent B takes the first two days, Parent A the next two, then Parent B the final three. Across the full fortnight each parent gets exactly half the time, and weekends rotate so neither parent always has the school-night grind or always gets the fun days.
For a fuller breakdown and variations, the 2-2-3 schedule guide in our library lays it out step by step.
An example week
Here is one common way the days fall, with a Monday start:
- Monday, Tuesday: with Parent A
- Wednesday, Thursday: with Parent B
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday: with Parent A
The next week the same shape repeats with the parents swapped, so Parent B takes Monday and Tuesday. Many families anchor handovers to school drop-off so the change happens away from the front door and feels routine rather than emotional.
Who it suits
The 2-2-3 schedule shines for younger children. Toddlers and pre-schoolers hold onto a sense of security through regular contact, and a gap of two or three days is far easier for them than a week. The schedules for toddlers guide explains why frequent, shorter stretches tend to serve a small child's need for closeness with both parents, and the schedules for infants guide covers the very youngest, where even shorter contact often matters more.
As children get older, the frequent handovers can start to feel disruptive to school life and friendships, and many families move toward something steadier. The schedules for school-age children guide covers that shift, and when to switch schedules helps you read the signs your child is ready for a longer rhythm.
The trade-offs
The strength of 2-2-3 is contact. Your child never goes long without either parent, which can ease the worry small children carry about being apart. The cost is logistics. Three or four handovers a week means more coordination, more chances for a bag to be left behind, and more moments where two adults have to be in the same place calmly.
Two things make that lighter:
- Live close. This pattern works best when the homes are a short trip apart, ideally within the same school catchment, so the child is not spending the rotation in the car.
- Keep a shared list. Agreeing what travels with the child, from the comfort toy to the PE kit, saves a lot of small frustrations.
Making the handovers calm
With this many transitions, the tone of handovers matters more than usual. A brief, warm goodbye reassures your child that both parents are fine, which frees them to settle quickly in the next home. If coordinating the swaps over text ever feels tense, dip's Tone Check tool helps you keep messages factual and kind before they land.
dip's free shared calendar gives both parents the same view of the rotation, so nobody is counting days or wondering whose turn the three-day block is this week. When you have settled on the pattern, you can write it into a free Temporary Parenting Agreement so both homes are working from the same plan.
If you are not sure yet
The 2-2-3 schedule is one of several 50/50 options, and the right fit depends on your child's age, the distance between homes, and how handovers go. How to choose a schedule walks through the trade-offs gently, and the wider schedules and rotations library covers every common pattern. You can explore the rest of dip too, free for both parents with no ads and no data sale.