Co-parenting is a very difficult endeavour. Whether you’re going into it willingly, or not, you will have to learn that compromise is going to inform just about every decision you make from now on. Not only will you have to consider what’s best for the child, something that already informs every decision as a parent, but now the rights and wills of your co-parent.
There aren’t many things that can make co-parenting substantially easier, aside from effective communication, but there are a lot of little things you can find on the internet that can facilitate that communication and make things at least a little easier. Take a look at our top picks for online tools that will help you to co-parent.
Shared calendar
There is a lot of back and forth that comes with co-parenting. Your kid has school, clubs, playdates, family, and a million other obligations. You might even grow envious of their packed social life. And in between, they need to be transported to and from your co-parents home. You will need a shared calendar to help you keep everything on track.
Even parents that live together could benefit from a shared calendar. You can see your child’s entire calendar from your phone and add things where there is space. Some shared calendars are specifically made for co-parents and will allow you to request time that wouldn’t ordinarily be yours, to be approved by your co-parent, or negotiated out with minimal argument because it’ll all be through your phone.
Child maintenance calculator
One of the biggest disputes in divorce is how much either party should be paying in child support. There are a lot of instances of one parent being unfair or purposefully getting more in child custody than they’re due, and far more of co-parents who aren’t handing over the dough.
If you think you aren’t getting what you’re owed, you can check out this CSA calculator, to be sure. It will ask you how old you are, your income, a few details on your children and the details of your shared care and present you with a figure approved by family law solicitors. Make sure you’re paying only what you should be.
Alternative payment methods
One of the worst entanglements of divorce, and a lawyer’s bread and butter, is the finances. Once you’ve got everything sorted, you’ve got what is yours, they’ve got what is theirs, and all joint bank accounts have been closed, you will need another means of paying your co-parent.
There is online banking, but it’s weirdly fiddly, and feels very formal. Especially if you are not on the greatest of terms, you might not feel comfortable handing out your bank details. Therefore, you’d be better off with one of the more alternative payment methods, such as PayPal. PayPal allows you to request payment, which is helpful if you expect your co-parent to go halves on a pair of football boots or a school camping trip. Plus, these transactions will be recorded in the app, so that you have proof of them in the future.
Smart doorbell
There are loads of reasons to get a smart doorbell to watch over your door. Even if you are on great terms with your co-parent, it would be helpful to have a recording of them dropping the kids at home, should you need it in the future. It means you don’t have to be waiting inside to let the kids in, you can communicate from the app and if they are old enough to be trusted with a key, they can let themselves in.
A security doorbell also has a camera, so if you don’t in fact trust your co-parent to be civil at the door, the smart camera will record it and alert the police if needs be.
This is a collaborative post.