Our Family Wizard (“OFW”) is a platform designed to help parents communicate and share information with each other for the benefit of their children. Messages. Calendars. Receipts. Report cards. If you can name it, you can share it on their platform. OFW is hyped up to be one of the best tools for co-parenting and it’s frequently recommended in high-conflict parenting situations.
Is Our Family Wizard worth the hype?
OFW is not a magic cure that will abruptly fix all communication issues in high-conflict parenting situations. It’s important to keep expectations realistic.
OFW is only an extremely helpful platform if both parents take the time to upload and share information and if they use the features. The OFW app will not be much help in co-parenting if the platform is rarely updated with new information or if the information that is uploaded is rarely reviewed by the other parent. To be clear, OFW does not fix communication issues with respect to either parent refusing to share information with the other. A parent that does not think the other parent needs to know about any of the child’s dentist or doctors appointment will likely fail to upload that information to the OFW app.
On the other hand, OFW is a great tool for parents that do not trust their co-parent to acknowledge messages or are concerned that records will one day be altered. OFW Messages show the date the message was sent and the date the message was first viewed. OFW messages cant be edited, deleted, or retracted once the message has been sent. These features build confidence that messages will not one day be described as “never received” or “changed” if the messages are used as evidence in family court.
The Edmonton Family Network loves OFW because it has a “ToneMeter” feature which warns its users when they are about to send a triggering or emotionally charged message. If used properly, the ToneMeter feature can teach users how to keep the tone neutral so the message stays child-oriented. This means that the co-parent with weak communication skills can receive some help with improving their poorly written or offensive messages which can help to improve the co-parenting relationship.
Is Our Family Wizard it worth the price?
There is a fee to use Our Family Wizard; however, it’s worth every penny if it is used consistently. Money should not be the biggest factor when it comes to making the decision to use it. OFW offers free accounts to people that meet their fee waiver criteria and OFW will allow one user to pay for another users subscription as well. This means the Cheapskate can still dodge the bill by leaving it to the other parent to pay for both parents OFW accounts for the benefit of their children.
Final Thoughts
OFW works best for adults that genuinely want to co-parent with each other and recognize the importance of maintaining open communication with each other regarding their children. OFW allows parents to send messages, upload documents, emergency contacts, health benefits cards, share important dates and any other information that is needed to successfully co-parent. It is ultimately up to parents to have the common goal of co-parenting with each other for the app to be worth it.
The Edmonton Family Network was designed to be used as a resource for anyone dealing with a difficult family situation. The Edmonton Family Network is familiar with the current limitations of the legal system and the barriers many people face trying to access and afford legal services. The Edmonton Family Network aims to educate and connect people with affordable resources and service providers that can help.
