Life
Communicating with an ex is difficult, especially when kids are involved. But as responsible parents, you have to find ways to co-parent effectively, peacefully, and to the best of your ability (if it's safe to do so, of course). Luckily, technology has made it easier for separated parents to share the responsibility of raising children and communicate effectively. So if you haven't already downloaded any of the apps that make co-parenting easier, you're missing out.
20% of American children live with a single mother, per the United States Census Bureau; that number has nearly tripled since 1960. And while the majority of children still live in a house with two parents — a reported 51.6 million children under the age of 18 — according to the American Psychological Association, 40-50% of married couples in the United States end up divorced.
In other words, divorce or separation is a common experience for many couples and parents. And while co-parenting isn't always safe (for example, in cases of abuse or neglect, or if one party is unfit), it's often the best option for parents who want to create a stable childhood for their offspring. Of course, co-parenting is easier said than done (whether you're married or not), and including technology can help keep things streamlined and actually help moms and dads communicate better. So with that in mind, here are some apps that can aid separated parents in being their best selves for their children.
1
The Family Core
Need help organizing all the things? The Family Core offers all involved caregivers (co-parents, step-parents, babysitters) color-coded schedules for arranging parenting time, visitation, and kids’ activities and appointments. The admin user of your group controls and customizes the roles so everyone involved sees only what they need to see.
Available in the App Store and Google Play for $1.99 per month.
2
WeParent
WeParent has the power of psychology behind it. Founded by Elena Krasnoperova, who has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University, the app’s goal is to make co-parenting stress free for the sake of the kids and to minimize the impact that household separation has on them. Like other co-parenting apps, it manages school and activity schedules, but it also recognizes that life with kids doesn’t always fit neatly into a regular schedule. Parents can make one-off schedules specifically for special occasions, emergencies, and other changes in plans.
Available in the App Store and Google Play for free for the initial 14 days and $9.99 per month for the whole family after that.
3
Cozi
This user-friendly app lets you share calendars, lists for homework and school projects, and meal plans. Set reminders to keep everyone on the same page. Because everything about co-parenting isn’t all planning and debating, it also includes a family journal where you can track kids’ milestones.
Available in the App Store and Google Play for free or $19.99 per year for the ad-free version, Cozi Gold.
4
Talking Parents
Communication is at the root of many co-parenting problems. Talking Parents allows parents the kind of accountability needed to communicate respectfully. It securely records and stores parents’ messages to each other, and they cannot be deleted. All messages and documents stored in the app can be found via the search feature — a nice touch when you need to quickly reference an agreement and avoid an argument.
Available in the App Store and Google Play for free for 30 days or $5.99 per month for the standard plan or $19.99 for the premium plan with the Accountable Calling feature.
5
coParenter
Created by a former judge and family law educator, coParenter covers familiar territory of other co-parenting apps — scheduling pick-up, expense tracking, calendar sharing — but its use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology gives it a unique advantage. The app's AI handles parent communication, serving as a mediator by analyzing conversations and flagging inflammatory phrases to keep conversations from escalating. That can certainly come in handy.
Available in the App Store and Google Play for $119.99 a year or $12.99 a month.
6
Parentship
Featuring an organized dashboard within the app, Parentship is a smart app that keeps all the important info at a glance. The digital document center serves as a secure way to store insurance, birth certificates, passports, and other important documents that all parents should have on file, but maybe don’t.
Available on Google Play for free for the first month, then $39.99 per year or $3.99 per month.
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