Co-parenting presents challenges on many levels, and for that reason, anything that can help you along the way has got to be a good thing.
Enter: The wonderful world of co-parenting apps.
These apps will support your shared-care arrangements on many levels. They allow you to communicate effectively and get you firmly on the same page, whether it’s a simple conversation, finances, calendar dates and beyond.
Most importantly, if you are able to co-parent well the people who really win are your children. According to Extension:
“Studies have shown that supportive co-parenting is related to better school grades and higher self-esteem in children. Children need love and support from both their mothers and fathers, and supportive co-parenting helps children deal with the changes that are happening following a divorce.”
That only leaves one question: Which co-parenting app is right for you and your ex-partner?
See below, our list of the most popular co-parenting apps including features, costs and everything else you need to know.
1. Our Family Wizard
https://www.ourfamilywizard.com
Our Family Wizard is an app for co-parenting families to manage parenting agreements from one simple and easy-to-use dashboard. Everything you need, from tracking expenses to kids’ schedules to important phone numbers, is all in one place so you have a clear picture of what’s happening at all times. You also have free access to legal and mental health professionals when you sign up.
Available on their website and on Apple and Android, Our Family Wizard is a subscription program that starts at $99 for 1 to 2 years. Their bundled packages start at $119.97. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee when you sign up so you can try out the features. Many judges in North America have mandated the use of this app for families who struggle with co-parenting, especially those with child custody disputes.
2. CoPilots
Co-Pilot: Co-parenting apps
https://copilots.family/?lang=en
Custody Connection is for co-parents looking for a well-rounded app that does more than manage your schedule. The custody calendar is robust, customisable, and lets you sync your kids appointments and activities. You can share photos, events and special moments with the entire family and get likes similar to Instagram.
One of the best things about Custody Connection is the features, but the user interface could be cluttered and hard to navigate especially for new users. Custody Connection is available on iOS and Android. There’s a 30-day free trial, but you have to pay $5.99 per month ($17.99 for 3 months and $49.99 per year) after that. Multiple people can use the app without extra fees.
3. Coparently
http://coparently.com
Coparently is another scheduling app that manages your co-parenting calendar from a single dashboard. Parents can monitor spending, store contacts, and communicate with each other and with legal professionals and counselors. The messaging feature is solid and lets you add your kids and store up-to-date contact information.
One of Coparently’s best features is the clean user interface. It’s easy to navigate and excellent for daily use even if you are not too tech savvy. A downside is the cost, which is per parent not per family. The subscription plan costs $9.99 per month per parent or $99 a year. Try the app free for 30 days to see if it works for you.
4. Custody Connection
Custody Connection is the perfect co-parenting app for parents with busy and frequently changing schedules that may affect the care of their children. The app makes it simple to track activities from a central calendar, which features a custody schedule that can be synchronised.
Parents can put in trade requests if they need to change custody dates and details. If accepted, the dates are automatically updated and reflected on the calendar. For exes with a contentious relationship, coordinating schedules like this helps reduce misunderstanding.
Custody Connection is free to try for 30 days and can be downloaded from the Apple Store. After the trial, you need to pay $2.99 (basic version) per month or $38.99 per year. It’s a robust and user friendly scheduling app that’s ideal for time-poor parents.
5. MyMob
MyMob is an Australia-built app that helps separated families manage schedules and keep parents accountable. Federal courts recommend the app and some judges even make the use of MyMob mandatory for ex-couples. What makes the app great is how it keeps communication lines focused on the children and holds both parents accountable. We love that it comes with a profanity filter that encourages positive communication.
The developers Stepfamilies Australia said the app was originally designed for the 80 percent of separated families who manage by mutual agreement. Free to download and use, MyMob features a shared calendar, a contacts list, wish lists, a virtual space for kids’ certificates and artwork, and more. Users complain about glitches like being unable to view messages and getting errors when two people use the app, but it’s an excellent co-parenting tool when it works.
6. 2Houses
2Houses is used by over 160,000 thousand families in 163 countries. It’s a great program to communicate with your child’s other parent when you’ve given up on phone calls, emails, and texts. 2Houses helps you organize schedules, track appointments, easily connect with mediators, counselors and other professionals, and exchange messages with your ex-partner in a neutral environment.
2Houses is available as a web app and on iOS and Android. Get the free 14-day trial to check out the features before signing up to the monthly plans. These start at $9.99 per month for families or both parents. It’s a reasonable price for an app that’s mainly for scheduling appointments with a few extra features thrown in.
