Apps to support separating families are all designed to support parents through what will likely be one of the most challenging negotiations of their lives. Dealing with an ex-partner, no matter how amicable, can be uncomfortable at the best of times but when there are children and ongoing support, custody and financial decisions involved it can be nothing short of a complicated and emotional minefield.
Below is a list of apps that have been created to support separated families. Be it by having joint calendars, journals or communication methods – these apps aim to make a sometimes difficult process as smooth and calm as possible with the fact that most of the communication is done online – rather than in person – actually a plus for most.
Useful apps for co-parenting
Divvito
Whilst Divvito offers co-parents a way to have all of their communication in one place, to organise messages into conversations related to specific topics and to share photos and files easily for collaboration, it is the way they deal with the delivery of messages between parties that really sets this app apart. Developed from an understanding that quite often communication between separated parents can be fraught with emotion and that things can often be written in the heat of the moment and regretted or misconstrued, the team at Divvito have created an app that can sense if there are any inflammatory words in a message and gives parents a chance to revise their messages before sending to help keep discussions positive. Entire chat histories can be archived so that messages can be referred back to when needed and all notifications are private so that parents can read and respond when they are ready. It also ensures that kids don’t accidentally read anything that they shouldn’t.
Cost: FREE Divvito
- Designed in Australis for Australian families
- Communication management tool to cool conversations
Our Family Wizard
Our Family Wizard is an app that is aimed at simplifying shared custody arrangements. Parents can use it to share messages, communicate expenses and update each other on appointments and meetings. With a calendar, message board, expense log, journal and info bank easily shared and accessible it stops children from being the middle messenger, which tends to happen in most cases. The notification centre for emails and texts also helps make sure no important dates or information can be missed.
Cost: FREE Our Family Wizard
- Expense trackers
- Shared parenting calendar
- Message board
Parenting Apart
Created by Christina McGhee, well-known divorce coach and parent educator, the Parenting Apart app focuses less on practicalities and more on emotional issues for parents and children. One of the hardest things to navigate but also the most important, this app provides information and guidance on things like the emotional stages parents and children will go through, adjustment issues, challenges and inspiration. Once purchased it provides free updates with content ‘refills’ in the form of new articles and materials as they become available.
Cost: $1.49 Parenting Apart
- Support information for parents – collective understanding
Kidganizer
Kidganizer is another app that is designed to help communication flow when face to face is not preferable. A synchronised app that updates in real time, Kidganizer allows parents to keep track of expenses, custody arrangements and calendar appointments without the constant back and forth that would usually be required. Parents can set up individual profiles for each child which can be shared with other caregivers if needed and expenses can be viewed for individuals as well as totals for all children too. Alerts will also be seen if anything changes to a schedule or an important meeting is coming up, making sure that everyone is made aware kept up to date in real time and without hassle.
Cost: $2.99 Kidganizer
- Expense management
- Alerts to remind parents about appointments
2Houses
This app was created by co-parents who recognised the need to help manage their children’s two homes fluidly. It is popular in its efficient simplicity with parents able to access and edit synchronised calendars, expenses and custody arrangements. The journal feature is the perfect way to communicate with each other privately and allows for not just messaging but also photo, file and video uploads if desired. Shared photo albums, to-do and shopping lists, as well as an information bank, are also features of this app.
Cost: FREE 2houses
- Shared lists and photo albums
- Joint calendars, expenses and central custody information
Ultimately, these apps do far more than simply help make co-parenting easier for the parents. By providing separated couples with a way to keep communication between them as simple and peaceful as possible the real winner will be the children they support.
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