Technology Can Reduce Conflict Around Children’s Residential Schedules
When parents are divorced or separated, the residential schedule for the children can often lead to conflict. Letting the other parent know about parent-teacher meetings, doctor’s appointments and baseball games shouldn’t be as difficult as it often is. But just because it should be easy doesn’t mean it always is.
When there are unexpected changes to the children’s residential schedules it can lead to missed appointments and resentment between the parents. As communication begins to breakdown because the previous efforts haven’t been working, parents often resort to using their children as messengers and carriers of the reminders. This raises the children’s anxiety level, and they begin to experience negative consequences of their parents’ dysfunctional partnership.
Thankfully, today’s technology offers tools to help people co-parent their children, to open communication and to keep track of schedules. There are several websites that are designed specifically for this purpose. They store residential schedules, track expenses and even send reminders for appointments and events.
When used by both parents, these websites can help to keep the schedule straight. They can be used to plan long term, to schedule holidays and vacations and to figure out who needs to take the child to dance classes on Tuesday. Because a calendar created and updated by both parents makes it clear where the child needs to be and when, conflict is greatly reduced.
These websites offer a wide range of functions, from simple calendars to those that include file sharing, contact lists, expense tracking, private messaging and more. The site with the most features isn’t always best, though. Sometimes simple programs are easier to use than those which offer dozens of features. If you feel overwhelmed with the scheduling website, you are less likely to want to use it.
Most of these websites do require a monthly fee. Consider this an investment in your relationship with your child, though. It’s well worth it if it reduces the anxiety and helps you to co-parent your children better. Some do offer a free trial period before the fee is paid, however.
For parents who are prone to conflict, this type of service can be a lifesaver. Communicating face to face with someone after an ugly divorce can be difficult. Problems that occurred in your relationship may be carried over into discussions about the children, and communication can come to a halt. These websites allow you to communicate openly, and for both parents to be held accountable for their role in the child’s life.
Fine and Associates is a law firm with specialized Toronto family law and divorce lawyers. Give us a call today to find out more about our services, and for a free phone consultation about your legal needs. In addition to legal representation, we can help you find the solutions that work best for you and your child in any co-parenting situation.