It was time to put an end to the warfare. These parents might never like each other, but they had to cease fighting if they wanted their children to have any semblance of a normal life. In addition, I recommended that the schedule be altered. At that time, father picks them up every night and brings them to his house. The children sleep at Dad's house and catch the school bus the next morning.
Weekends continue on an alternating basis.
Both parents were able to change their work schedules to accommodate this change. This is still a terrible schedule, even for children who are very flexible and can roll with the punches, and even for parents who have a cooperative relationship. But it was the only change that these two parents would agree to at this time. Therapy enabled them to put some of their differences aside and to look at what their children needed from them. They were beginning to look at the need to spend time with each child separately.