Adjusting to shared custody is a challenge. Even those who want what is best for their children may struggle to work cooperatively with a former romantic partner. Co-parenting apps have become a common tool utilized during the transition to shared parental rights and responsibilities.
Parents may agree with one another to use a co-parenting app. The courts may also require co-parenting app use in high-conflict scenarios. Although parents may find these apps frustrating initially, they can be very helpful when sharing parental rights and responsibilities.
What are the potential benefits associated with the use of a co-parenting app?
1. Calmer communication
When parents have to communicate in writing, they may be less likely to lose their cool while discussing parenting matters. Using a co-parenting app for all communications can help limit interpersonal conflicts and promote healthy communication between co-parents. Even those experiencing intense emotions may realize that their language is inappropriate when they start typing out a furious response on an app.
2. Clear information about scheduling
When parents communicate through a variety of different systems, either might forget key details. For example, they might agree to change the drop-off time one day, only to have one parent insist that the conversation never happened previously.
Parenting apps keep all of the information about the parenting schedule and prior communications between the adults in one centralized location. It is therefore much easier for parents to verify details about their schedule and prior communications than it is when they use multiple different platforms to communicate.
3. Evidence of inappropriate conduct
Parenting apps can help provide an authoritative source of evidence. If one parent is abusive when communicating with the other, the records from the parenting app can help show the courts that inappropriate communication occurred.
The records could also validate claims about one parent choosing not to consult the other before making important decisions or canceling the other’s time with the children. Particularly when parents hope to modify or enforce the existing court order, records of inappropriate conduct can prove invaluable.
Embracing the use of a co-parenting app may make it easier for adults to share parental rights and responsibilities. Eventually, parents who work on their dynamic with one another can transition away from using a co-parenting app as their circumstances evolve.