Hey guys,
Looking for some advice and experiences from dads who've had a similar custody setup.

I live in Switzerland and since about six months, I’ve been working 2.5 hours away from home. My job allows for two days of home office, so I spend three days per week near work and then return to our family home on the weekends. Switzerland also allows you to deduct the rent of a studio at your work location from taxes, so that helps.

Now, my STBX and I have decided to sell the family house and both get separate places in the same village where our kids (10 and 12) go to school. We're working out the custody plan, and her current proposal is that I have the kids every weekend—from Friday at lunchtime (I’d be working from home) until Sunday evening.

This more or less reflects our current rhythm, and I actually enjoy having the freedom to plan the weekends with the kids without having to negotiate. But I'm starting to wonder how sustainable it is over time. I don't go out partying or have wild weekends, but I do value the occasional weekend away—be it seeing friends, taking a break, or just recharging.

So I’d love to hear from those of you who have every weekend with your kids:

  • How did you manage it?
  • Did you ever agree with your ex to swap weekends or take the occasional one off?
  • Did she stick to the plan, or did she eventually start asking to have the kids on weekends when it suited her?
  • Long-term, did you feel like you had enough time for yourself?

Thanks in advance. Just trying to get a clearer picture of what this kind of custody setup looks like in the real world.