How the standard possession order calendar is built
| Period | Noncustodial parent |
|---|---|
| Weekends | 1st, 3rd and 5th weekend of every month, 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday |
| Thursdays | 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the school year |
| Thanksgiving | Odd-numbered years, 6 p.m. on the day school lets out to 6 p.m. Sunday |
| Christmas | Even years: school out (6 p.m.) to noon Dec 28. Odd years: noon Dec 28 to 6 p.m. the day before school resumes |
| Spring break | Even-numbered years |
| Summer | 30 days, designated by written notice by April 1 |
| Mother's / Father's Day | To the mother / father, 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday |
Holiday periods override the regular weekends and Thursdays. The calendar applies them in that order. For 2026-2027 that means the custodial parent has Thanksgiving 2026 (an even year), the noncustodial parent has the first part of Christmas 2026 up to noon on December 28, and the custodial parent has spring break 2027 (an odd year).
What this calendar does not cover
- Parents more than 100 miles apart. Different rules apply (one weekend a month by election, every spring break and 42 summer days).
- Expanded standard possession orders that start at school dismissal and end when school resumes.
- Weekends extended by a Friday or Monday school holiday, the custodial parent's summer weekend, and the 6-8 p.m. birthday visit.
- Summer default dates. If no notice is given by April 1, your order sets default summer dates; enter them yourself.
Questions
What is the Texas standard possession order?
It is the default schedule set out in Chapter 153 of the Texas Family Code. For parents who live 100 miles or less apart, the noncustodial parent has the 1st, 3rd and 5th weekends of each month, Thursday evenings during the school year, alternating holidays and 30 days in the summer.
Which weekends are the 1st, 3rd and 5th?
Count Fridays. If a Friday is the first Friday of the month, that weekend is the 1st weekend, even if Saturday and Sunday fall in the next month. Months with five Fridays have a 5th weekend.
How is Christmas split under the standard possession order?
Christmas vacation is split at noon on December 28. In even-numbered years the noncustodial parent has the first part, from 6 p.m. on the day school lets out until noon on December 28; the custodial parent has the rest. In odd-numbered years it is the other way round.
Who gets Thanksgiving?
The noncustodial parent has Thanksgiving in odd-numbered years, from 6 p.m. on the day school lets out until 6 p.m. on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The custodial parent has it in even-numbered years.
Does this calendar replace my court order?
No. Your signed order controls, and many orders change the standard times (for example an expanded order starting when school lets out). Check your order and your school district calendar.
Sources
- Texas Family Code § 153.314, Holiday Possession Unaffected by Distance Parents Reside Apart (text as published on texas.public.law, read November 7, 2026).
- TexasLawHelp, "Standard Possession Order and Parenting Time" (weekends, Thursdays, spring break, summer), read November 7, 2026.
Not legal advice. For your own case, read your signed order or talk to a Texas family law attorney. See also the custody calendar and the holiday custody schedule.