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Specialty tag(s): Parenting Schedules, Child Custody

Standard Summer and Standard Holiday – the Child Custody Schedules for Co-Parents in Texas

Mona Hosseiny-Tovar | July 1, 2025

In Texas, most family court orders involving children include what’s known as a Standard Possession Order, per the Texas Family Code. This order outlines when each parent has time with their child throughout the year, including summers and holidays, and it’s a starting point and baseline for how divorced or separated parents share in time with their children.  For recently divorced parents to effectively plan, communicate, and avoid unnecessary disputes, developing an understanding of the Texas standard custody holiday schedule is essential.

What Is the Standard Custody Schedule for Holidays in Texas?

The standard holiday custody schedule in Texas, otherwise known as “Standard Holidays”, ensures that holiday time is shared fairly between both parents by alternating major holidays each year, and it tracks the Standard Possession Order under the Texas Family Code. Under the Standard Holiday schedule, one parent has the children for Thanksgiving and New Year’s, while the other has them for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and each year, the parents alternate that schedule. More specifically:

• Thanksgiving: The parent with possession gets the children from school dismissal through the Sunday before school resumes.
• Christmas: The parent who did not have possession during Thanksgiving has the child from when school ends for the Christmas holiday break until noon on December 28.
• New Year’s: The parent who had possession for Thanksgiving also receives possession starting on December 28 at noon until the day before school resumes, and this period of time includes New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

The following year, the schedule flips; meaning, the parent who had possession of the children during Thanksgiving will have possession of the children for Christmas the next year. This rotation of Standard Holidays allows children to spend meaningful time with both parents during the holidays, and allows for the parents to fairly split in holiday time with their children.

What Is the Standard Custody Schedule in Texas for Summer?

The standard custody schedule for the Summer is designed to give the non-custodial parent more extended parenting time, in addition to the 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th weekends, and provides that parent with an opportunity to ‘catch up’ in time that they did not have during the school year with their children. According to the Standard Possession Order of the Texas Family Code, a “Standard Summer” for a non-custodial parent in Texas is another way of naming the schedule for the second parent and providing a baseline of time they are entitled to with their children.  “Standard Summer” means the non-primary parent has extended possession of the children, by default, for 30 days in the summer between July 1 and July 31, and the custodial parent, or “primary” parent, can select one weekend during those 30 days to have the child in their care, typically from Friday evening to Sunday evening. This extended period allows the non-custodial parent to build a deeper bond with their child while maintaining the overall structure of the year-round schedule for the non-custodial parent.

While the non-custodial parent continues to receive first, third, and fifth weekends during the rest of the summer break, that time is shortened to Friday at 6 p.m. through Sunday at 6 p.m., and Thursday visitations/overnights are suspended during the summer.

Can You Modify the Standard Custody Schedule?

Yes. While many families follow the Standard Possession Order or Standard schedule in Texas for summer and holidays, the court allows custom arrangements. Parents may agree to custody schedules that better reflect their child’s needs, family traditions, or cultural holidays. However, any modifications must be clearly outlined in writing and approved by the court.

Speak to an Attorney About Your Summer or Holiday Schedule

If you’re unsure whether the Texas standard custody summer or holiday schedules will work for your family, speak with an experienced family law attorney like Mona Hosseiny-Tovar about your options. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.