Test a parenting plan against a real school year

A parenting plan that works for a normal week can still fail in October. Before you sign, walk the draft through one full school year.

Start with the calendar

Print the school district's calendar and both parents' work schedules. Put the draft schedule on top, week by week, from the first day of school to the last.

Eight days to test

• The first week back, when supplies and forms are due
• A teacher workday with no school
• A snow day or a sick day
• Thanksgiving and the winter break
• A birthday that falls on the other parent's day
• Spring break
• The last week of school, with its concerts and field days
• The first week of summer

Questions to ask on each one

Who has the children? Who drives? Who takes the day off work? If either of you has to guess, the plan needs a sentence.

Write the fix into the plan

Most fixes are one line: who covers days off school, a swap rule for birthdays, a deadline for summer dates. Small sentences now save a hearing later.

Bring your marked-up calendar to the meeting. It's the most useful thing a parent can show us.