More and more parents abroad are turning to mobile apps. How do they help?
Apps make our daily lives easier in countless ways — from entertainment to work, school, sports, and lifestyle. In recent years, parents abroad have been increasingly using apps designed to help them organize childcare. Planning extracurricular activities, school tasks, or doctor’s appointments often requires the involvement of several caregivers — and that, in turn, depends on good communication.
Such apps play a particularly important role in families where the parents are no longer together. Even if parents no longer live under the same roof, they still need to take care of their children every day. Co-parenting after separation or divorce can be challenging, even in cases where the breakup was peaceful and respectful. How can parents communicate so that all family members stay connected? In high-conflict divorces, this can seem almost impossible — some parents struggle to get through a single conversation without arguing.
Co-parenting apps were created to make it easier for parents to communicate, plan, and manage different aspects of raising their children. Most offer shared calendars, secure messaging, and note-taking features. In some cases, parents choose to use them voluntarily; in others, the use of such an app may even be court-ordered. Judges in some countries can require parents to use a co-parenting app to coordinate childcare arrangements.
Parents abroad can choose from a variety of apps. Most of the popular ones originated in the United States, but they are also used in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Families can select the option that best fits their needs — some rely mainly on a shared calendar to keep track of care schedules, while others value shared documents and expense tracking. Secure in-app chat features are also frequently appreciated.
Among the most commonly used apps are:
OurFamilyWizard – A co-parenting app with over 100,000 downloads that has supported parents in the U.S. for more than 20 years.
Cozi Family Organizer – Used by families to plan shopping, cooking, and other household activities. It has over 5 million downloads.
2houses – A co-parenting app that includes parenting schedules, expense tracking, and document sharing. It has over 100,000 downloads.
Photo: Barbora Jiranová