In the United States, millions of people get married each year. Sadly, each year, hundreds of thousands of married couples also end up separating or getting divorced. It is often tough to successfully communicate when you and your spouse are divorcing. However, communication is often necessary, especially when there are children in the picture. Good co-parenting needs clear communication and a way to work out disagreements. It’s tough when parents disagree and tensions are high. Unfortunately, the children are the ones who suffer when their divorced or separated parents are unable to successfully co-parent. The good news is that co-parenting apps can sometimes help with communication issues.
How Co-Parenting Apps Help In Divorce Or Separation
In the age of technology, it seems like everything has an app. This includes co-parenting. Special co-parenting mobile apps can help parents improve their communication and coordinate schedules more efficiently to meet their children’s needs. If you’re a divorced or separated parent, continue reading to discover the benefits of using co-parenting apps.
Improved Communication – Thoughtful Responses
For parents who struggle with communicating, often written communication is best. A parent has a chance to think about their response and wait until they are responding with logic and not emotion before sending their reply. Some co-parenting apps even have a tone indicator that will flag your message before sending. It basically reminds you to review again if you use rude words or it otherwise appears to the app’s technology that your tone is not the best for co-parenting communications.
Instant Messaging
Most apps feature instant messaging capabilities. Like a text message, but better. You can often keep messages in separate categories. For example, one chain of communication regarding school issues and another regarding the child’s extracurricular activity. Also, some people have tried to fake text messages to make the other parent look bad. However, when you have an app with printing capabilities, the parent can more easily show that they did not send the offensive message and that the negative message is a fake.
Scheduling Capabilities
Coordinating schedules is hard enough when you’re in the same house, and it can get even tougher living apart. Luckily, co-parenting apps often have tools like shared calendars and color coding to make planning activities and carpools with your children much easier.
Document Sharing
Co-parent apps often have an easy way to store and share documents. For example, scan the soccer schedule to the app and both parents have easy access to the practice and game schedules. Share a copy of the report card or note from the teacher. Co-parenting apps let divorced or separated moms and dads share these important documents with each other, making it easier to access and store important documents related to co-parenting.
Reminder Features
Most co-parenting apps include reminder features designed to streamline organization for parents. Parents can easily set up notifications for their children’s activities and events like school, sports, birthdays, and doctor’s appointments using co-parenting apps. Just add the date, time, and event name, and the app will send you a reminder, making sure you never miss events and deadlines in your child’s life.
Custody Arrangement
Some co-parenting apps feature functionalities that enable separated and divorced parents to share custody schedules and arrangements for their children. You can set up visitation schedules, including dates, pick-up and drop-off times and locations, and even special events, such as holidays so that you and your ex can avoid conflicts and arguments.
Expenditure Tracking
During and after separation or divorce, matters that pertain to finances can be a major source of conflict for parents. Co-parenting apps can help you and your ex-spouse handle financial matters, track expenses, and avoid conflicts. Parents can use the app to track expenses related to their children, maintain shared records as to costs, and upload/share receipts of relevant expenditures and timely ask for reimbursement.
Co-Parenting Apps: Making Parenting Easier and Families Happier
These apps have changed the way parents communicate and create a one-stop shop for co-parenting communication. Their use is frequently ordered by judges in cases with high conflict or communication issues. These digital tools offer a streamlined approach, allowing parents to coordinate and communicate more effectively. Most co-parenting apps provide a free trial period, empowering users to explore the features and benefits before committing long-term. Further, some apps are free, if you don’t mind watching an occasional ad.
The app’s features often include time-stamped communicationand shared calendars, enabling easier scheduling and notice to both parents of important events. Whether it’s coordinating school pickups, doctor’s appointments, or after-school activities, these apps facilitate better co-parenting.
Available on platforms like Apple and Google Play, these apps contribute to smoother communication and better organization, ultimately promoting a more cohesive and harmonious co-parenting experience.
Highly Rated Co-Parenting Apps
- OurFamilyWizard: This app helps in communication, scheduling, expense tracking, and more. It offers a secure platform for co-parents to coordinate and manage parenting responsibilities. This is one of the more commonly court-ordered co-parenting apps, but it does have a monthly cost. OurFamilyWizard is frequently ordered by Courts and has created a more seamless process to subpoena records if app entries become necessary for a custody case.
- AppClose: This app is one of the most popular because it has the most-used features, such as messaging, a shared calendar, and the ability to upload receipts, and it is free.
- Cozi Family Organizer: This app comes with a cost but has some additional features beyond a shared calendar and messaging. For example, it has a location indicator so you can see the other parent’s location at the time of check-ins or exchanges. This can help hold a parent accountable if there are problems with not being on time for parenting time exchanges or the parent making the child late for school or scheduled activities. It also has the additional feature of allowing a mediator to help resolve minor disputes before they escalate into needing attorney or court involvement. Although this app comes with a cost, it can help keep overall costs down by helping to hold each parent accountable for their actions.
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