There are some pretty nice computer tools created for people going through a separation and divorce, so why not take advantage of them?

I am reviewing my 3 favourite tools over the next three months, starting with OurFamilyWizard®. I highly recommend OurFamilyWizard® for all busy families trying to keep themselves organized with multiple homes, but for those that cannot communicate well, it is especially helpful.

OurFamilyWizard® is designed in the United States but is available and useful to us here in Canada. Please check out this program to see if it would be useful for your situation!

Many co-parents do not look forward to communication with their ex-partner, yet good communication between parents is the key to safe, happy, healthy and well-adjusted kids. If just thinking about a face-to-face meeting or a phone discussion causes adrenalin to start to flow, OurFamilyWizard® can be helpful!

Even seeing an email from my ex in my inbox used to trigger me! Adrenalin released due to this discomfort, often called the flight or fight response, often causes a conversation to start off on the wrong foot and can create undesired outcomes. Sometimes emails and texts can easily be misconstrued or actually be sent with a nasty tone and intent. I highly recommend using the OurFamilyWizard® to help keep communication organized and clear, simplify things and help minimize conflict.

The thing I like most about OurFamilyWizard® is that it is set up as one place to hold all communication between you and your ex so nothing is lost in cyberspace or forgotten. Each page is stamped with when it was last viewed by each parent as well as who wrote it and when. Since it keeps an accurate record it can also be used in court. I find this fact alone helps keep things cleaner and fairer between co-parents and holds everyone more accountable. Just knowing that a third party could read what you are writing in court makes people think things through better before they hit send.

OurFamilyWizard® makes it possible to communicate well as co-parents without much interaction in person. This is a win/win for ex-couples and a win for their children! OurFamilyWizard® even has technology that views your written communication and queries any questionable language before you can hit send!

The following quote is off the OurFamilyWizard ® website.

“The OurFamilyWizard ® website is so effective that judges in … 5 Canadian provinces have ordered families to utilize the site in contested cases to reduce family conflict.”

I also highly recommend OurFamilyWizard® for families that get along well. The app is set up for co-parenting families that need to share information to make life run smoothly and has many useful features including:

• A common shared calendar for scheduling activities like events and holidays.
• A message board for communicating as necessary.
• An information bank to record the important information about the kids that all their caretakers need to know, like allergies and medical information, all in one place.
• An expense Log to track expenses and payments. (The only drawback for Family Wizard use in Canada is that although you can track expenses and payments in the Expense Log, it is set up to do actual US dollar transactions. You can track your expenses and payments here but cannot do the actual banking through the app to have proof on hand. In other words, you will still need to keep receipts for proof of payment but having a log is still immensely helpful.)
• A Journal to keep detailed notes.
• The other advantage of OurFamilyWizard ® is that third parties, older kids, and caretakers can also be granted access to parts of the app so everyone can be kept current on changes in schedules and stay on the same page. This is so important for looking after the best interests of our children!

I highly recommend this app to all separated families. Find more information here: https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/

Having trouble managing your communication with your ex-partner or just having trouble sorting out things during a separation? It would be an honour to coach you through your issues.

Please contact me.

I do offer a strategy session.

Best regards,

Pam

Pam Mirehouse
The Separation Project Coach

Image © johnhain / Pixabay

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