Divorce experts, from legal counsel to therapists, agree on one essential component of effective co-parenting: clear and effective communication. They suggest keeping interactions brief and business-like, in writing, routine, and strictly about the children.
The not-so-secretive secret to make co-parenting easier lies in apps for divorced parents, like expense tracking apps or calendar sharing apps. An app is an extraordinary tool for co-parents because it streamlines and improves communication, saving you time and frustration.
While emails, texts, or voicemails can get long-winded, co-parenting apps steer the conversation back to the main point every time.
Need your co-parent to pay their portion of your child’s doctor bill? No problem. Upload a picture of it or input billing information in a specially designed template to send them: no muss, no fuss, and no room for either of you to get off topic.
Consider an app that stores and checks the overall tone of your writing. If you’ve ever received an email in all capital letters and assumed the sender was yelling at you, you get the idea.
Because of past hurts, communication biases can be larger than average for divorced couples. Using an app with a tone meter ensures better communication and understanding. It alerts you to words that could be misinterpreted, seen as hostile, or legally used against you.
Need to document exchanges between you and your co-parent for legal reasons? Apps allow you to keep that info all in one easily accessible place. The information can’t be altered or deleted, and many co-parenting apps are court-approved.
You also won't waste time trying to find information you need across email, text, and social messaging apps.
You and your co-parent will share the task of raising your children together but separately for a long time to come. Experts suggest communicating routinely, briefly, and in writing, but that can still be challenging through emails and text messages.
Look for apps to help you meet those criteria. And don’t be surprised if those respectful communications, guided by your apps, result in you and your ex-spouse on better terms sooner than later.