The Ultimate Guide to Coparenting Apps
Coparenting? There’s an app for that too!
Over the past few years coparenting apps have begun to sweep the market as the newest tools in simplifying post-divorce communication. More parents are getting on board with these new technologies and a growing number of professionals within divorce and family dispute resolution services are recommending various apps as aides for their clients.
The benefits of these apps are many. Particularly for parents who find themselves wrapped up in consistent conflicts apps are often helpful in taking some of the guesswork out of communication. Most apps have shared calendars displaying children’s schedules, as well as the ability to track messages and communications. Some apps offer the ability to upload important documents such as kids’ report cards, doctors’ prescriptions and receipts for financial expenses in order to centralize the sharing of important information. The apps essentially become a central database for all parenting communications, minimizing any “he said, she said” and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
In this post I’ll break down some of the more popular coparenting apps out there, as well as introducing you to some lesser known apps. These will constitute a mix of paid as well as free applications, with some being created specifically for coparents while others are general family management apps that will prove equally a helpful in two separate homes. The idea is to give you, the reader, sufficient information to give you options from which you can determine which app might work best for you and your children’s other parent. Remember that what works for one family may not work for you. It’s about finding what best fits your circumstances. Ready? Here we go!
Our Family Wizard
https://www.ourfamilywizard.com
Our Family Wizard is perhaps the most well-known coparenting app out there. It’s received loads of publicity over the past number of years and for good reason. This feature heavy app offers a shared calendar, a message board for tracking communication and new notices, an info bank for important documents, and an expense log for shared expenses. Families in the USA can even enjoy in app direct money transfers in order to pay off expenses. The app offers an online journal where you can organize thoughts and notes in a private or shared format, complete with search features for that note you know you wrote down but can’t seem to find. Access can be granted to parents, kids and professionals in various customized capacities, creating options in order to foster clear communication and accountability when working with lawyers, mediators, therapists or the like. With optional notification features, there is never a reason to forget about pickup support payment schedules. OFW offers their own trademarked technology called ToneMeter, an “emotional spell-checker” which assists parents with creating healthy communication habits when typing to one another. Professionals can choose to create fee accounts or purchase bulk subscriptions packages in order to set up accounts for their clients.
Tech compatibility: This app is accessible on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone and Kindefire.
Cost: Prices for the OFW app range between $90 to $110 USD per parent, per year, depending upon the chosen package.
2 Houses
The 2 Houses app is all about cohesive parenting communication, with options for families of every structure, whether together or separated. The coparenting features here are rich and create a foundation for clear and respectful collaboration. The coparenting calendar offers algorithms to accommodate most parenting schedules (alternate weekends, 2-2-3 patterns, grandparent days), as well as the ability to request the trading of parenting time in the case of circumstances such as a special family function. Expense tracking is made easy with account balancing illustrations, ensuring appropriate distribution of expenses. Requests for payment can also be made, in-app. Create shopping list suggestions with pictures and links to the items your children could use. Journal features ensure clear communication of notes to the other parent while media uploads for videos, photo albums and documents ensure all important info gets shared without hassle. This app has a handy task list feature to keep parents organizated, with notification features to help you remember to-dos. Access to this apps information can be shared with children and others, however the professional access features are not as robust as those of Our Family Wizard, offering read only features for pros such as mediators.
Tech compatibility: This app is accessible on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
Cost: The 2 Houses app comes in at an affordable $9.99 CAD per month, for the whole family, based on an annual subscription.
Cozi
While Cozi isn’t necessarily created as a customized coparenting app, this free(!) family organization app offers many features that will simplify coparenting in a similar fashion to those such as Our Family Wizard and 2 Houses, without the added expense. There is a colour coded calendar to keep track of appointments and visitation schedules. To-do lists, shopping lists and easily shared journal entries with media capabilities help keep coparents organized. Email and text notifications are available to keep everyone up to date in terms of deadlines and other notifications. What you won’t find here are the robust document or expense sharing features of other apps. For the price though, this may be a good option for some families.
Tech compatibility: This app is accessible on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone.
Cost: free!
Coparently
Coparently is another website created specifically to ease the task of coparenting. While it features the standard coparenting calendar and message board, one of its shining features is the shared expense log. Here parents can input suggested expenses for approval by the other parent, as well as current expenses which automatically calculate each parents proportionate payment responsibility based on percentages entered during account setup. The site also features a handy shared contact directory in which to store contact information for kids’ teachers, doctors, friends, etc. The app also offers parents free child, profession and guest accounts.
Tech Compatibility: This app is accessible on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone and Kindefire.
Cost: $9.99 US or $99 US per year (per parent).
Google Docs
In recognition that money is often on the mind during a separation or divorce, this suggestion is a gentle reminder to think outside the app. While many seek out and prefer the one-stop-shop that coparenting apps offer, there are alternative ways in which to still reap the benefit of similar features.
Ponder this: Creating a Google doc folder in which you can customize and upload an expense spreadsheet, as well as subfolders for receipt uploads, important kids documents as well as one for any documents you need one another to fill out and return. By setting sharing features within the apps, editorial rights can be granted so that coparents are able to collaborate on shared documents. Consider creating a shared Google calendar for coparenting times or creating shared albums for kids’ photos.
When it comes to coparenting, there is an app for everything and everyone. From high conflict scenarios where more structured apps might be helpful to those self-starters who can get by with a Google folder, there are price ranges and features to suit any need. Which one will you choose?
Have you tried any of the apps featured in this article? Please share your feedback in the comments!
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