Parenting with Technology, Part Two
Parents sometimes say that exchanging information with their ex-spouse can feel like a tug of war. One spouse feels like they aren’t able to get the information they need about their kids from the other parent and another feels like everything they tell the other parent is forgotten or ignored. In my experience, having a way to communicate about the children that works for parents makes it easier for both parents to avoid the conflict about communicating and parenting with technology can help.
Practicing family law is about more than just divorce. I get to help people. I talk with people who sometimes just need a better way to make things work. Family law gives me the chance to think about ways, sometimes unique ways, to make things work better and how to avoid problems in the future because parenting is hard and divorced parenting can be really hard.
This is the second part of my series talking about parenting with technology and how technology can help divorced and divorcing parents. The first part is here.
So, with that in mind, here are some apps (mostly Apple, some free, some not) that I have thought and talked about with clients, suggested in situations and used in both family law and divorce cases. Some of these ideas were created especially for parents but some aren’t – the focus of the app may be something else, but I see potential because of the unique ways that people are communicating right now. And, it seems like everybody has their phone with them most of the time. These are some suggestions as you move forward as a divorced parent or a parent living separately from the other parent.
Family Law Specific – Designed specifically for family law situations
Our Family Wizard – website and app, requires annual payment by both parents
Co-Parenting – an app that can be used for communication and calendar items
2Houses – both website and app including calendar, financial information exchange and photo album, without fee
Calendars – Can be used to create a shared calendar for the child or children
Cozi Family Organizer
Business collaboration websites and apps – Think of co-parenting as your most important project and you may be able to see the possibilities of ‘collaborating’ with your ex to exchange information, expense information and activities schedules
Basecamp – online and app, projects can be created and discussed, documents can be uploaded
Collaborate – a group messaging app, could be used by both parents and teenagers or tweens to discuss details and schedules to make sure everyone is on same page
Apps to make exchanging information and communicating easier –
Scanning/pdf app – use this to quickly and easily send pdfs of expenses to the other parent
Dictation app – dictate things specifically that you want to remember to let the other parent know
I hope that these ideas help, or get you thinking about some options that will help your situation.
Jill O’Connell
Feel free to contact Jill O’Connell, if you’d like to talk about your particular issues in your case,at 940-497-5454.