A parenting schedule represents the general repeating pattern of your and your co-parent's parenting time as defined by your parenting agreement. You will use the Parenting Schedule Builder to document your parenting schedule in OurFamilyWizard. When setting up a parenting schedule, you can either build a schedule from your parenting agreement or create one yourself using the guided schedule setup. You can create a Parenting Schedule in the mobile app or on the website.
Before you get started
Think about the parenting schedule you want to add to your calendar, including:
- The days assigned to each parent
- When exchanges typically occur
- When the schedule should begin and end
- Whether your schedule follows a repeating pattern or is a custom arrangement
When creating a parenting schedule, you can choose the setup method that works best for you:
- Build your schedule step by step using the guided schedule builder.
- Build from your agreement by uploading a document containing your parenting schedule and letting OurFamilyWizard help fill in the details.
You can create a standard repeating schedule, build your own repeating pattern, or create a fully custom schedule that doesn’t repeat.
Option 1: Build a schedule from your parenting agreement
If your parenting schedule is already documented, OurFamilyWizard can use AI to help turn that information into a parenting schedule.
You can upload a document containing your parenting schedule, such as a:
- Parenting agreement
- Divorce decree
- Temporary order
- Other document containing parenting schedule details
Please note: The file must be a PDF, up to 4 MB. Your document is processed securely and stored as a private file in MyFiles.
Step 1: Select Build from your agreement
Select Calendar, then Parenting Schedule. Then, select Build from your agreement.
Step 2: Upload your document
Drag and drop or select "browse files" to upload the document containing your parenting schedule. OurFamilyWizard will review the document and look for information needed to build your schedule. Processing may take a few moments.
Step 3: Review
Once processing is complete, you’ll see the parenting schedule information OurFamilyWizard identified. Depending on your document, this may include information such as:
- Template
- Start date & End date
- Exchange days and times
- Other parenting-time details
Review this information carefully by clicking "Review." OurFamilyWizard will then guide you through a series of steps to review your parenting schedule. If something needs to be corrected, update it before continuing to the next step. Click Cancel at any time to close the parenting schedule builder without saving changes.
Step 4: Choose your template
Review or edit the following options:
- Template: The pattern of repeating days.
- Weeks: The number of weeks in a pattern before the schedule repeats.
- Overnights: Click or click & drag on the calendar template to assign, swap, or shift overnights.
- Exchange Times: Choose the exchange time for each day of the week. You can always submit schedule change requests if your schedule needs to adjust later on.
Step 5: Confirm your schedule length
Choose or confirm how long the parenting schedule should run by typing or clicking within the Start Date and End Date fields. Each day in the parenting schedule will be assigned a color for each co-parent who has the overnight. Days in grey are unassigned. An arrow symbol notes an Exchange day.
- Review the start and end dates to make sure they reflect your parenting arrangement.
- Review the assigned days to make sure they reflect your parenting agreement.
Click Back to make changes to the template and pattern of repeating days. Click Final Review to proceed to the final step of your parenting schedule builder.
Step 6: Review and create your schedule
Complete the final review by:
- Naming the schedule.
- Selecting the children the schedule applies to.
- Please note: You can only have 1 active parenting schedule at a time. You cannot create two different schedules for two children that display on your calendar at the same time.
- Reviewing the parenting schedule.
- Reviewing each parent’s overnight totals and percentages.
- Selecting Create.
Your parenting schedule will then be added to your calendar.
Option 2: Use the guided setup to build your schedule step by step
Use the guided setup to build a parenting schedule, step by step.
Step 1: Choose guided setup
Select Calendar, then Parenting Schedule. Then, select Start guided setup.
Step 2: Choose Your Template
Start by selecting the schedule template that best represents the pattern of your repeating parenting arrangement. In the drop down menu, you’ll see common parenting schedule options. Select a template to display a visual example of how each pattern works.
Don’t worry if a template isn’t an exact match. You can easily make adjustments as you continue through setup without starting over.
After you select a template, review or edit the following options:
- Template: The pattern of repeating days.
- Weeks: The number of weeks in a pattern before the schedule repeats.
- Overnights: Click or click & drag on the calendar template to assign, swap, or shift overnights.
- Exchange Times: Choose the exchange time for each day of the week. You can always submit schedule change requests if your schedule needs to adjust later on.
If none of the standard templates work for your family, you can also create:
- A custom repeating schedule for an arrangement that follows a predictable pattern.
- A custom non-repeating schedule for parenting time that doesn’t follow a regular pattern
Step 3: Confirm your schedule length
Choose or confirm how long the parenting schedule should run by typing or clicking within the Start Date and End Date fields. Each day in the parenting schedule will be assigned a color for each co-parent who has the overnight. Days in grey are unassigned. An arrow symbol notes an Exchange day.
- Review the start and end dates to make sure they reflect your parenting arrangement.
- Review the assigned days to make sure they reflect your parenting agreement.
Your start date can be in the past. This is helpful if your parenting arrangement went into effect before you created the schedule in OurFamilyWizard. For example, if your parenting schedule began July 1 but you’re setting it up on July 17, you can select July 1 as the start date. OurFamilyWizard will use that date to determine where you currently are in your schedule’s rotation.
- Note: Selecting a past start date helps align your current schedule. Parenting schedule dates in the past won’t be added to your calendar.
Click Back to make changes to the template and pattern of repeating days. Click Final Review to proceed to the final step of your parenting schedule builder.
Step 4: Review and create your schedule
Complete the final review by:
- Naming the schedule.
- Selecting the children the schedule applies to.
- Please note: You can only have 1 active parenting schedule at a time. You cannot create two different schedules for two children that display on your calendar at the same time.
- Reviewing the parenting schedule.
- Reviewing each parent’s overnight totals and percentages.
- Selecting Create.
If something isn’t right, you can go back and make changes before creating the schedule by clicking Back. When everything looks correct, select Create to add the parenting schedule to your calendar.
Additional Options
Review and Add Holidays
Your parenting agreement may identify holidays or other special parenting-time provisions, such as school breaks. Holidays are different from your regular Parenting Schedule. Your Parenting Schedule represents the regular foundation of your parenting time, while Holidays can represent exceptions to that regular schedule as defined by your parenting agreement. Review this article for information about how to add a Holiday to your parenting schedule: How do I create, edit, or delete a Holiday?
Editing, Ending, or Deleting a Parenting Schedule
Either parent can edit, end, or delete any existing parenting schedule with upcoming dates. For one-time parenting time modification requests, please see: How do I create a schedule change request?
Editing a parenting schedule
- On the Calendar, click on the Parenting Schedule button
- On the website: In the menu on the left side of the Calendar, click Parenting Schedule.
- On the mobile app: Tap the menu icon (three lines). In the menu on the left side of the Calendar, tap Parenting Schedule
- In your list of Active schedules, click the schedule in question.
- Click the Edit icon towards the top of your screen (Edit or Grey Pencil)
- Make the adjustments to your schedule, then click Save.
The parenting schedule will be modified on all upcoming dates. It will retain its previous settings on dates that have already passed.
Ending or deleting a parenting schedule
- On the Calendar, click on the Parenting Schedule button
- On the website: In the menu on the left side of the Calendar, click Parenting Schedule.
- On the mobile app: Tap the menu icon (three lines). In the menu on the left side of the Calendar, tap Parenting Schedule
- In your list of Active schedules, click the schedule in question.
- Click the End Schedule button
- On the website: Click the Trash Can icon.
- On the mobile app: Scroll to the bottom of the dialog box and click End schedule
- A pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm your selection.
- If the parenting schedule has already been in use over dates that have already passed, click End Schedule to end the use of this schedule for any future dates. You cannot remove a parenting schedule from dates that have already passed.
- You and your co-parent will be able to view the details and entry history for this ended schedule anytime from the Inactive tab within the Parenting Schedule Builder.
- If the parenting schedule has not yet been used and only covers upcoming dates, click Delete to proceed with deleting this schedule.
Whether you are editing, ending, or deleting a parenting schedule, your co-parent will receive a System Message notifying them of the action that just took place.
Viewing Schedule Details & Histories
There are two lists in your Parenting Schedule Builder: Active and Inactive.
- Your Active schedules list is where you can view all of the parenting schedules that are currently active and cover upcoming dates. You and your co-parent can both edit any of the schedules in this list.
- Your Inactive schedules list is where you can view all of your parenting schedules that only include dates that have already passed or schedules that have been deleted. None of the schedules in this list can be edited.
To view schedule details & histories:
- In the Parenting Schedule Builder, choose the Active or Inactive tab, depending on what schedule you wish to view.
- Select the parenting schedule you wish to view.
- Beneath the overview, select Show Details or View History.
- Selecting Show Details will outline the next interval of your parenting schedule including dates and times of changes in the schedule.
- Selecting View History will outline who created the parenting schedule, when it was created, as well as if and when any changes were made.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change a schedule template after I select it?
Yes. You can adjust your schedule as you move through the guided setup. Click Back to navigate to the correct step and make any necessary changes.
What if none of the schedule templates match my parenting arrangement?
Choose a custom schedule (repeating or non-repeating). You can create either a repeating pattern or a fully custom schedule that doesn’t repeat. Use the schedule builder to select specific days assigned to each co-parent.
Can my parenting schedule start in the past?
Yes. Selecting a past start date can help OurFamilyWizard correctly determine where you are in a repeating parenting schedule. Past parenting schedule dates are not displayed on the calendar. The past start date is used to correctly align your current schedule, not to backdate calendar documentation.
What does the overnight summary show?
The final review shows the number and percentage of overnights assigned to each parent for the schedule you’ve created.
Does uploading my parenting agreement automatically create my schedule?
No. OurFamilyWizard uses AI to assist with setup, but you are responsible for reviewing and confirming the schedule before it is created.