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Mother praised for ‘mature’ messages with co-parenting ex
‘As a family law paralegal, I love this so much,’ one viewer writes
![Mom shares messages with her ex on co-parenting](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/18/19/newFile.jpg)
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Louise Thomas
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Two parents decided to part ways amicably, refusing to go through a custody battle and instead coming to an agreement themselves – and so far, it’s working out great.
On June 8, Courtany Dobson exposed an intimate aspect of her life now that she and her former partner, John, are co-parents and exes. Next to a carousel of message screenshots, Courtany wrote on TikTok: “We didn’t go to court. We didn’t let strangers decide when our kids could see one another. We don’t do child support. We pick up the slack when the other parent needs it. We help each other out.”
“Most importantly, our kids are thriving, and we give them our absolute all,” she continued.
Text messages between the former pair – who split up four years ago, according to People – proved they were more than amicable.
The first screenshot showed Courtany telling John she was nervous driving somewhere with their 11-year-old daughter, Harleigh. “Well, just keep your phone on you. What’s the address?” John replied, before adding: “The things we will do for our kids.”
![Mom shares how she’s been co-parenting with her ex](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/18/19/Screen-Shot-2024-07-18-at-2.09.11-PM.jpg)
Next, John’s question of whether he can drop Harleigh and their six-year-old son, Hudson, off at Courtany’s was highlighted.
“That’s pretty awesome, let’s go ahead and get them signed up,” another of John’s messages to Courtany read followed by a message of encouragement: “Smartest thing to do is be on your phone. Nobody will bother you.”
In the next slide, Courtany asked John to pay her for half of Harleigh and Hudson’s expenses. John then responded to let her know that he’d sent the money.
The two exchanged some light-hearted comments, kindly asked for each other’s availability, and shared sweet moments from their time with the kids. One particularly heartwarming text from John came when he wished Courtany a “Happy Mother’s Day.”
In the comments section of her viral TikTok, Courtany’s followers praised the mom-of-two for how she and her ex have handled their split, prioritizing their kids well-being above all else.
“From a child whose parents had a wonderful co-parenting relationship, your kids will appreciate you SO much at 28,” one woman wrote, while another touched viewer said: “As a family law paralegal, I love this so much.”
A third person admitted: “I wish my children’s father was this mature.”
“That’s the way it should be done. Your kids shouldn’t suffer the loss,” another TikTok user added.
Speaking to People, Courtany admitted that she and John will occasionally spend time together depending on the situation. However, they will always sit together for school events. “We were able to throw both kids’ birthday parties together, and let me just say our kids will forever cherish us both being there on their birthdays,” she noted.
Courtany also confessed she had been the one to refuse a court custody agreement for financial support. When the couple divorced, she just “wanted out.” Now, they’ve reached a place in their relationship where they can be supportive and speak to each other in a healthy manner.
“Our words to each other have changed drastically over the years. We use to never even be able to have conversations but now it’s much different,” Courtany told the outlet. “We were definitely not friendly like this after our divorce. It took a while to get to this point.”
She added: “If you were to ask our kids though, they would say we’ve always been nice to each other because we never showed them that side of us.”
The Independent has contacted Courtany for comment.
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