Residential Calendars in Joint Physical Custody Arrangements Beyond the Week On/Week Off Model: Experiences of Frequent Alternating Schedules and Parental co‐Presence in Italy

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on residential calendars in joint physical custody arrangements (JPC). Based on extensive fieldwork in the Piedmont Region involving 22 children aged 10 to 16 and their families, we identify two distinctive Italian trends departing from typical JPC schedules emphasizing weekly alternations for clarity and fairness: (1) increased frequency of transitions with shorter stays at each parent's home; and (2) frequent physical co‐presence with both parents, regardless of the defined residence. We propose a new vocabulary to qualify these calendars' specific tempos of alternation, based on the number of consecutive sleepovers at each parent's and number of transitions between homes over a 2‐week period—translated into a typology of four calendars. The practices that unfold in each are illustrated by a specific case study also highlighting frequent physical co‐presence during the day with the non‐residential parent, and how children themselves experience the more or less frequent transitions characterizing their custody arrangement. We then discuss the challenges these cases pose to the current state of the art on the factors encouraging or discouraging frequent alternations and conclude by pointing out future research avenues.