4-3 Custody Schedule (60/40): A Predictable Weekly Pattern

The 4-3 schedule is a 60/40 custody pattern with a single, simple structure: one parent has the kids four days a week, the other has them three. Same days every week. It's one of the easiest schedules to remember because there's no two-week cycle to track — every Monday looks the same, every Saturday looks the same.

How it works

Pick which parent gets the four-day side and which gets the three-day side. The four-day parent typically gets a chunk that includes either Monday-Thursday or Friday-Monday, depending on whether the family wants stable school days or stable weekends with one parent. There's no wrong way to slice it — what matters is that both parents and kids know which days repeat every week.

A typical 4-3 weekly pattern:

• Monday: Parent A
• Tuesday: Parent A
• Wednesday: Parent A
• Thursday: Parent A → handoff in the evening
• Friday: Parent B
• Saturday: Parent B
• Sunday: Parent B → handoff Monday morning, repeat.

What it means for kids

The 4-3 is one of the easiest schedules for kids to internalize because the same day always means the same parent. There's no 'is this an A week or a B week?' confusion. Kids settle into a rhythm: school days at one home (or the other), weekends with the other parent. The trade-off is that the lighter-time parent only has the kids for three days a week, every week — no big stretches to do bigger family things. For younger kids who do better with regular short contact, this works well. For teens who want longer time at one home to really settle in, it can feel choppy.

What it means for parents

For parents, the 4-3 trades total time for predictability. The four-day parent handles the school week and gets the heavier weekday workload. The three-day parent has lighter weekday demands but less overall time. It's a common choice when one parent's work or living situation makes a true 50/50 hard, but both parents still want significant regular time with the kids. The same-days-every-week structure is huge for planning anything — work travel, evening commitments, even doctor appointments.

How SplitDay makes it easy

SplitDay's 4-3 template is a one-week cycle — set it up once and the same pattern repeats forever. Both parents see the same calendar; print it for the fridge and even young kids learn 'Saturdays are at Mom's' / 'Wednesdays are at Dad's'. When you need a one-off swap (school trip, family event), log it once and both phones update without disrupting the underlying pattern.