Managing daily logistics can be complicated when co-parents live separately and are on less-than amicable terms. Luckily, there are co-parenting apps that can help parents communicate clearly, stay organized, keep track of all details, reduce angry phone calls and confrontations, and focus on what really matters – raising happy kids. The following apps are designed to make the realities of co-parenting easier and less stressful.
Our Family Wizard
The brainchild of a divorced couple, Our Family Wizard (“OFW”) is one of the apps designed specifically for co-parents and their kids. The app lets families manage expenses, share events and messages, and even add professional accounts including their attorney, therapist, or mediator. The optional add-on, ToneMeter works like an “emotional spellchecker” for messages, picking up on negative tones and giving alternatives to avoid a potential argument. OFW is the preferred app in high-conflict cases where direct access to the parents’ communications is important to either quickly de-escalate a conflict or efficiently and quickly file a motion seeking court intervention.
Coparently
Coparently offers a set of digital tools needed to make co-parenting go as smoothly as possible. It features a secure messaging center, color-coded custody calendars, printable or exportable records for shared expenses, and a shared directory for important contact info. Coparently gives parents the flexibility to add kids and other guest users to the account while cordoning off parents’ communication logs.
Talking Parents
Talking Parents is the go-to app for parents who are having trouble communicating effectively. The easy-to-use record-keeping systems provide the ability to upload attachments within the app and create PDFs of conversations and calendars. Conversations are timestamped and unalterable and can be shared in legal settings.
2Houses
2Houses offers a great suite of streamlined features to make co-parenting efficient and effective. It covers the practicalities with a detailed expense recording and advanced management calendar. 2Houses allows parents to exchange all necessary information and share photos, videos, news, and notes through a feature called 2Houses Journal. Another nice touch is the Wish List on which co-parents can discuss future gifts for their kids. Other helpful features include document storage and messaging with mediator access.
Parentship
Parentship opens to a dashboard that shows upcoming events, reminders to ensure those events are not forgotten, and coordinated calendars. It allows parents to make a “smart” profile for each child to avoid confusion and has a digital document center for things like birth certificates, medical insurance, passport, and social security numbers. Parentship can be integrated with Google Calendar to add scheduled events and ensure parents never miss important dates.
