Every school year has a handful of breaks that matter: a fall break, Thanksgiving week, winter break, spring break, and a few long weekends. When the kids live in two homes, each one raises a question: whose break is it?
Why school breaks are tricky
Your custody schedule talks about weekends and holidays. The school calendar decides when those breaks actually fall. The two work together:
- Spring break in many orders goes to one home in even years and the other in odd years.
- Long weekends can stretch your normal weekend by a day when there's no school on Friday or Monday.
- Thanksgiving and winter break usually follow the holiday plan in your order.
And if your kids go to different schools, they may have different breaks.
KidNights reads the school calendar for you
When you set up KidNights, you pick each kid's school district or school. KidNights puts that school's breaks on your calendar and checks them against your order. So when it says the kids are with you for spring break, it has already looked at both.
The year view shows every break and every kid. Plan from here in the fall.
Plan the year in one sitting
Pick a quiet evening in the fall and plan the whole school year:
- Open the calendar and switch to Year.
- Mark which breaks the kids are with you this year.
- Open Plan a trip, choose With the kids, and tap School breaks to see breaks your kids share.
- Pick one break for a trip, one for family visits and one for rest.
- Add the trips with Add a trip so your family page shows them.
Ideas for each break
- Fall break: a short road trip to see the leaves, or a long weekend at the grandparents.
- Thanksgiving week: if it's not your year for Thanksgiving, plan your own feast the weekend before.
- Winter break: split the time between a big day out and plenty of pajama days.
- Spring break: the best week for a trip. Book early, because prices go up fast.
- Long weekends: a one night camping trip or a day trip to somewhere new.
Watch for school days off
Teacher work days and early release days can be a surprise. They change who picks up the kids and when. Keep your kids' school calendar handy and check the month ahead every few weeks.
When the breaks don't match
If your kids and stepkids go to different schools, look for the overlap. School breaks in Plan a trip shows the breaks your kids share. Even a two-day overlap can be enough for a short family trip with everyone. See Get all the kids together on the same weekend.
Key takeaways
- Your order says who has a break. The school calendar says when it is.
- KidNights puts each kid's school breaks on your calendar.
- Plan the whole school year in one sitting each fall.
- School breaks in Plan a trip shows the breaks your kids share.
Questions families ask
What if my kid changes schools?
Update the school in KidNights and the breaks update with it.
Our school isn't in Texas. Will the breaks be right?
KidNights has every US school district. Outside Texas, some break dates are estimated, so check them against your school's calendar.
Do long weekends count as a holiday?
It depends on your order. Many orders stretch your weekend when school is out on Friday or Monday.