Guide
Splitting the school holidays between two homes
Around thirteen weeks of the year fall outside UK term time, and they cause more co-parenting friction than the whole of term time combined — because term time has a pattern and the holidays usually do not. Here is how to give them one.
Four ways to divide them
Alternate whole holidays
Parent A has October half term and Easter this year, parent B has them next year. Simplest to administer, but creates long stretches away from one parent.
Best for: Short holidays and half terms
Split each holiday in half
Each break is divided down the middle with one handover. Keeps both parents involved in every holiday and is easy to explain to children.
Best for: Christmas, Easter and the summer
Keep the term-time pattern
The regular rota simply continues. Minimal disruption and no negotiation, but neither parent gets a long uninterrupted block for a trip.
Best for: Families with a settled 50/50 pattern
Block-book the summer
Divide the six weeks into one- or two-week blocks and pick alternately, with a deadline for choosing. Good where one parent's leave is fixed by a rota.
Best for: Summer, and shift-working parents
A workable process
- 1.Write down the actual term dates for your child's school for the year ahead — do not work from memory.
- 2.Decide the approach for each break separately. Halves for the long ones and alternating for the short ones works for most families.
- 3.Fix Christmas for at least two years ahead, so the alternating pattern is settled rather than annual.
- 4.Set a booking deadline for summer plans and put that deadline in the shared calendar.
- 5.Count the days each way once it is drafted. A split that feels uneven usually is, and it is easier to fix on paper.
- 6.Add the agreed holiday blocks to the shared calendar as events, so they override the normal rota automatically.
The bits people forget
- Passports and consent. Taking a child abroad usually needs the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility. Agree it well before booking.
- Inset days. They are not in the holiday list but they still need cover.
- Childcare costs. Holiday clubs are expensive; decide who books and who pays at the same time as who has the days.
- The return day. Build a buffer before school restarts so the child is not travelling the night before term.
Common questions
How are school holidays usually split between separated parents?
The four common approaches are: alternate each holiday year by year, split each holiday down the middle, keep the term-time pattern running through the holidays, or block-book the summer in one- or two-week chunks. Most families mix them — halves for the long breaks, alternating for the short ones.
How much of the year is school holidays in the UK?
State schools in England and Wales are typically open for 190 days, so roughly thirteen weeks fall outside term time: about six weeks in summer, two at Christmas, two at Easter, and three half terms. Independent schools usually have longer holidays.
How do you handle Christmas fairly?
The most common arrangement is to alternate: one parent has Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the other has Boxing Day and New Year, then it swaps the following year. Fixing the pattern for several years ahead avoids the same argument every autumn.
How much notice should holiday plans need?
Longer than ordinary swaps — many families agree four to six weeks for summer plans and travel, and two weeks for shorter breaks. Put the deadline in the calendar itself so nobody has to chase.
General guidance for planning family logistics, not legal advice. Term dates vary by school and nation — always check your own school's published dates.
Ask other UK co-parents
A quiet forum where parents ask questions and share what worked across their two households — schedules, handovers, school and shared costs. Anyone can read it. To post, start your free trial; you can do so anonymously, and nothing from your family calendar is ever shared. It is not legal advice.
Read the parent forumGet the holidays into the same calendar
Set up your family in about a minute, add your pattern and invite the other household when you are ready. Every family starts with a free 14-day trial of the whole app.
No card needed. Private events are only ever shown to others as “Busy”.