I’m looking for some advice about using parenting apps to communicate with my ex-husband regarding our children. We’ve been separated for several years and both have contact with them.
Unfortunately, communication can be difficult, and there has been a regular pattern of emotionally abusive behaviour, particularly over text. Over the years I’ve tried to manage this by setting boundaries, not engaging in conflict, and choosing my battles. However, things have escalated recently, and last night I experienced a late night phone call where he was shouting and swearing at me and he hung up on me, over something minor (trust me when I say it was minor!!!). I won’t go into further detail, but it was upsetting and really shook me.
I recognise that, despite my efforts to keep things calm and not escalate situations, this approach isn’t working and is now having a significant impact on my mental wellbeing.
I don’t want to make things worse, but I do need to protect myself. If boundaries around communication, such as not contacting me late in the evening or communicating respectfully, can’t be maintained, then I feel I need to explore healthier alternatives.
I’ve started looking into parenting apps but don’t know much about how they work in practice. If anyone has experience using them, I’d really appreciate hearing whether they’ve been helpful, and if there’s anything about them that can make communication easier or more difficult. I’m just trying to make an informed decision before suggesting this as an option.
I want to protect my identity so I won’t be posting any more specific details. Thank you.