How Technology Can Help You Deal With Divorce Issues and Co-Parent Your Kids
Navigating a divorce can be incredibly painful and confusing — especially if you share children with your soon-to-be ex. Figuring out all of the logistics to this major life change can be completely overwhelming. Remembering, for instance, to add an extra 25% more moving materials than you think you’ll need when you prepare to leave your family home and relocate to your own place can feel impossible when you’re just trying to ensure the well-being of everyone involved. But like it or not, you’ll have to take care of those tasks. And after you move out, life must go on. Coordinating all the details afterwards, however, can be a big challenge.
Fortunately, you might have technology on your side. Around 83% of parents say it’s important for their children to learn how to use technology, but there are apps and platforms out there that can be highly beneficial for divorced parents to use, as well. Apps like CoParenter and Cozi can help to organize schedules, communicate changes, and ensure that both parents know who’s picking up the kids from what activity. And while the non-custodial parent in divorce cases will have approximately 88 days per year with their child on average, there are even programs like CustodyJunction that can help co-parents figure out their agreements, schedule support payments, and keep track of important records.
There’s also Our Family Wizard, which can store all kinds of records, from medical expenses and legal documents to schedules and appointments. Interestingly, this platform actually screens for potential aggression, which can help to make the co-parenting relationship a lot less stressful or hostile. Talking Parents is another program that facilitates healthier co-parenting scenarios, encouraging clear communication and providing records to which those communications can be compared for accuracy. While both services have been around for years, they’re now being adopted in countries all over the world due to the beneficial effects they’ve had on families.
It’s not all about word choice and scheduling, however. Getting a handle on essential financial data can also be a breeze with these platforms. There’s AppClose, which can help parents to notate expenditures and send reimbursement requests; SupportPay, an app that allows users to manage and make support payments, calculate amounts owed, and track or provide receipts; and 2Houses, a free program that features calendars, family photo album uploading capabilities, health contact information, clothing sizes, and financial overviews to ensure expenditures are on track and information is being shared.
Certainly, navigating divorced life and co-parenting your kids will never be simple or straightforward. There will be bound to be misunderstandings and disagreements down the road. But by making good use of available technologies and keeping the lines of digital communication open, you may be able to avoid the worst case scenarios and keep the peace between family members.
