Even when a child’s parents are on excellent terms with one another, if they are no longer married or romantically involved, they may find co-parenting to be challenging at times. On the other end of the co-parenting spectrum are former spouses or romantic partners who cannot stand one another and only wish to communicate when absolutely necessary. Between these two poles is a lot of gray area.
Regardless of where on the co-parenting spectrum you and your child’s other parent fall, it can be helpful to leverage technology in ways that take some of the stress out of co-parenting. The more challenging that you find your co-parenting arrangements to be, the more technological resources could help to facilitate more manageable circumstances.
Co-parenting apps and broader platforms
These days, there are a number of technology options designed specifically for co-parents. These apps and platforms are generally multi-functional. They may contain shareable family calendars, financial tracking, and archivable messaging for communications specifically between co-parents. These options can be particularly helpful if you and your co-parent struggle to communicate effectively.
Additionally, technology that is more broadly used for a variety of purposes can serve co-parenting needs as well. For example, using the Marco Polo video messaging app can allow co-parents to share messages with a visual component without having to engage the other in conversation. This can be helpful if, for example, a child has suffered an injury and they want to notify their co-parent and show them how serious it is or isn’t, but they don’t want to risk the tension of engaging in an open-ended discussion.
Co-parenting is rarely an easy endeavor. By utilizing different kinds of technology to your advantage, you can potentially make your co-parenting arrangements more manageable and less stressful for everyone.