What is a Parenting App
A Parenting App is an mobile application that can be a useful tool to assist parents with co-parenting post separation.
Depending on the parenting app and subscription you both agree on, there are a number of useful tools that Parenting Apps provide to assist with co-parenting, as follows:
1. Calendar for children’s appointments, activities and for the care arrangements to be recorded
Children frequently bring home notes from school about activities or events, which both parents need to be aware of, so they can either attend to support and celebrate their child’s achievement or ensure the child has the necessary items for the activities (i.e. swimming). The use of a shared central calendar allows both parents access to the information and an opportunity to support and celebrate their child (depending on Court Orders).
Children may have regular medical appointments that both parents may need to attend or take the child too, particularly where the child attends specialist or allied health appointments which are often difficult to schedule due to the limited availability of medical professionals.
The calendar is also a great tool to record the care arrangements as an easy point of reference for both parents, especially if they change for special occasions or school holidays.
The shared calendar function is an effective tool to assist parents coparenting and managing their child/children’s schedule in both households.
2. Communication and information sharing functions
Whilst some families prefer using text messages or emails to communicate with each other, the trail of the information exchanged can be sometimes difficult to find when you need to review. Most parenting apps have a download function with the messages exchanged between parents and a record of voice and video call times and lengths, which is much easier to organise rather than collating from multiple platforms.
Children regularly receive birthday invitations while in one parents’ household, however, the birthday falls while they are in the other parent’s household. The birthday invitation can be shared with the other parent so they can consider whether it is an activity they can facilitate while their child is in their care and it also allows time to plan if a present needs to be purchased.
This is a great tool to give you space to review messages at a suitable time to you and in compliance with your Parenting Plan or Court Order. Notifications can be silenced so it does not disrupt your day to day use of your phone by allowing you time to sit down at a suitable time to review messages and updates or to respond to messages or upload documents to share with the other parent when you are available to do so.
3. Video and voice calls
Most parenting apps have a call function as well with some offering recording features of the calls, depending on the subscription purchased.
This is a great tool to facilitate calls with the other parent and children and allow you autonomy over your own Facebook Messenger account or mobile phone while ensuring that the children and other parent have a suitable service to communicate with each other.
4. Tone metres
Again, depending on your subscription, most parenting apps offer a tone metre which can assist parents in considering whether their message needs a redrafted before it is sent so that it is received well by the other parent. It is like a second pair of eyes to assist with moderating heated messages between parties which really do little to assist parents successfully coparenting.
5. Costs
Whilst most of the parenting apps have a monthly or annual subscription, most offer a fee waiver or reduction depending on the individual’s personal circumstances.
New apps are being developed all the time and typically they will offer a free period, however, they generally move to a paid service at some point.
What Parenting Apps are available
The 3 most popular Parenting Apps used are as follows:
Ultimately, the greatest benefit of parenting apps is the stability they create for children. When parents have clear communication channels and shared access to important information, children experience less stress and more consistency between homes. These tools are not just about convenience. They help parents stay aligned, informed, and focused on what matters most: your children’s wellbeing.
