It should come as no surprise that co-parents find it challenging to keep in close communication with their former partner after separation or divorce. Ultimately, most parents understand the importance of good communication with a co-parent. A solid communication plan between co-parents serves to provide stability and minimizes stress for the children.
Children shouldn’t be messengers between parents
Children are impacted enough by a divorce or break-up without the added stress of serving as a go-between for their parents. Even something as seemingly innocent as asking your child to “tell your dad your recital was cancelled” can have a negative impact on a child.
Whenever possible, you should always attempt to keep communication between yourself and your co-parent. Of course, your children should be aware of what is happening in their lives, but the actual work of passing on a message should be left to the parents.
Are there other options besides text or email?
In some situations, co-parents are not able to have face-to-face communications or interactions without creating additional stress for their children. In these circumstances, it is still important to have an effective communication plan, but you may want to consider using apps or online tools to facilitate your exchange of information.
While Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and other social apps dominate at the moment, one-one-one communication can also be facilitated through the use of apps. For co-parents in two separate households, using technology can alleviate the stress of face-to-face interaction that may exist.
There are plenty of apps for communicating in general, but there are also a growing number of options specifically for co-parenting. Most of these apps offer similar features including shared calendars, expense and payment trackers and message boards. Some require a paid membership to access all of the features, but some no-cost options exist as well. A few options include:
- Our Family Wizard
- Talking Parents
- Cozi
- 2Houses
No matter what form of technology you choose to communicate with a co-parent, the most important thing to remember is that the kids come first. These apps and more tools are available to keep you focused on communicating important information and away from tense conversations that get in the way of effectively co-parenting your children.
