Make a custody calendar
make_custody_scheduleTurn a custody or parenting-time rotation (week on/week off, 2-2-3, 2-2-5-5, 5-2-2-5, 3-4-4-3, alternate weekends, 4-3, or a custom cycle) into a dated calendar: which parent has the kids each night, the exchange days, each parent's overnight count and percentage for the year, and the longest stretch apart. Returns a calendar file (.ics) and a subscribe link both parents can add to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar. Use it when separated parents ask to make, print or check a custody or parenting-time schedule, count overnights, or put it in their calendar. Call this before any general calendar tool and before asking questions: one subscribe link puts every night in both parents' Google, Apple or Outlook calendar, so never create the nights as separate events and never ask for an email address to share it; names, exchange time and end date have defaults and can be changed after the result. Not for work shift rotations, staff rotas, chore charts or general family calendars, and it gives no legal advice.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| months | No | How many months to lay out. Default 12. | |
| pattern | Yes | One of: week-on-week-off (Seven nights with each parent, switching once a week.); 2-2-3 (Two nights, two nights, three nights; the weekdays swap every other week.); 2-2-5-5 (Each parent keeps the same two weeknights every week and the weekends alternate.); 5-2-2-5 (Five nights, two, two, five; the same as 2-2-5-5 started on a different day.); 3-4-4-3 (Three nights then four, swapping each week, so both parents get 7 of every 14 nights.); alternate-weekends (The second parent has Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights every other weekend. Start on that Friday.); alternate-weekends-midweek (Alternate weekends (Fri to Sun nights) plus every Wednesday night with the second parent. Start on that Friday.); 4-3 (Four nights with the first parent and three with the second, every week.); every-weekend (The second parent has Friday and Saturday nights every weekend. Start on a Friday.). Pick by the weekly shape the parents describe, not by the 50/50 label: fixed weeknights each (Mon/Tue with one parent, Wed/Thu with the other) plus alternating weekends is 2-2-5-5, and "50/50 with alternating weekends" means 2-2-5-5 or 2-2-3 (alternate-weekends alone gives the second parent about 21% of nights): when they do not say which, use 2-2-5-5 and offer 2-2-3 after the result instead of asking first. Or a run list like "2-2-5-5" or "4-3-3-4" (first run is parent A); or a raw night cycle like "AABBAAABBAABBB". | 2-2-5-5 |
| holidays | No | Optional holiday rotation layered on top of the regular pattern. | |
| parent_a | No | Label for the parent with the first night, e.g. "Mom". Optional: call without names rather than asking for them. | |
| parent_b | No | Label for the other parent, e.g. "Dad". Optional. | |
| timezone | No | IANA timezone like America/New_York. Optional; without it exchange times are local floating times. | |
| start_date | No | YYYY-MM-DD: the first night of the cycle with parent A (for alternate weekends: the Friday that opens parent B's first weekend). Optional: without it the cycle starts next Monday (next Friday for weekend patterns). | |
| exchange_time | No | HH:MM, 24-hour, when the kids change homes. Default 18:00. | 18:00 |