Two houses can mean a lot of conflict.
You have individual schedules; individual needs and you are trying to meet the needs of kids who are going between both houses. It can be stressful for kids and parents. So it is little wonder that conflicts can arise between co-parents for a multitude of reasons from expenses to custody schedules. Thankfully, conflicts can be reduced with some careful thought.
So how do you reduce conflict between co-parents?
In this article, we are going to go over reducing that conflict and how you can have a tool at your very fingertips to
On Your Mark, Get Set, Download!
The very first thing that you should do is download the 2houses app if you haven’t already. There are a lot of co-parenting apps out there but none as good as 2houses. It was designed by a divorced father who was trying to navigate the co-parenting relationship with his ex. This means that it is developed with a lot of the trials and tribulations in mind that co-parents go through…by someone who’s been through them too.
With the app, you can avoid conflict right from the download as you get 14 days free and the expense can be shared between both parents. Easy and affordable all at once.
Now that you have it downloaded, let’s look at how it can help reduce conflict between you and your co-parent.
Number One: It Keeps an Expense Budget
Some conversations are considered conflict topics and money is one of those. Having a way to discuss expenses in neutral spaces is one of the ways that 2houses help reduce conflict. With the expense budget, you can keep track of expenses month to month and even download monthly statements of the expenses that were paid out.
In addition, you can use the app to let the other co-parent know when there is an unexpected expense with kids, like a new retainer when they broke their old one…and so on.
By having all of this done over the app, co-parents can work through any frustration they may have and you can avoid a lot of the conflict that comes up because of money.
Number Two: Keeps Schedules Organized
Another way that 2houses helps you with reducing conflict is around schedules. With the app, you can program in the custody schedule right into the calendar in a fast and easy manner. Then you can simply send requests right through the schedule to keep from having conflict over any changes to the schedule.
This is a wonderful way to allow the 2houses app to be a mediator…it is, after all, exactly what the app is for. In addition, one parent doesn’t have to feel responsible for sending any reminders or keeping the other co-parent organized. Again, the app does that and it can help reduce the conflict when one parent doesn’t have to organize the other one.
Number Three: Aids in Creating Safe Handoffs
While a lot of co-parents do the handoffs at the homes the kids are at, there are many who need to meet in neutral areas for the handoffs. This helps with keeping conflict down and is important for those who are co-parenting with a partner who was abusive or there is a restraining order against one parent. With the 2houses app, you can set a time and place right into the schedule. Co-parents can choose a neutral area and then meet there for the handoff. The app will mark it in the calendar and it can be changed as needed by sending a simple request.
Number Four: Creates Ways to Communicate when Tension is High
Another excellent feature of 2houses is the journal on the app. Parents can exchange vital information as well as simply write about how the kid’s day was. It can be a terrific way to let the other parent know what is going on even when face to face conversations are filled with tension due to ongoing conflict.
This ability to have conversations not orbiting conflict topics allow co-parents moments to catch their breath and simply enjoy what it means to be a parent…focusing on their kids (our next point). And it allows parents to communicate about just the kids while avoiding any arguments that might have happened when they were face to face.
Number Five: Reminds Co-Parents to Focus on the Kids
Finally, the app is designed with kids in mind—in fact, the app can be used as a way for kids to stay in touch with their other parent when they are not with them. While this isn’t really a feature that reduces conflict specifically, knowing that the kids will have access to the app can help reduce conflict. Parents are less likely to start arguing on the app through the calendar or journal if kids could see it.
This means that parents have more time to cool off before they need to respond to a high conflict situation. And this time to cool off can completely correct the conflict that was occurring. One of the best advice the many mediators give is to take a break and think about your answer, and how it will affect your kids. While 2houses can’t directly tell you this, for many parents, knowing the kids could potentially read an angry message, and then end up worrying, it gives them that step back to count to ten and return to it once they have calmed down.
2houses is designed to make co-parenting easy and that means, it is there to help reduce the conflict that can arise, especially early on in the co-parenting journey. It organizes, monitors expenses and provides ways for kids and co-parents to check in to feel secure in the relationship. It is the buffer that co-parents with a lot of tension in their relationships need as they heal from the separation and divorce and learn to leave…and thrive…in a different parenting relationship than the ones they shared in the past.
Conflicts happen, it’s only natural, but with 2houses, you can reduce how often and how severely those conflicts happen. So what are you waiting for? Download the app today.