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Real Co-Parents Campaign: Corey Gulley
Corey Gulley is a divorced father who says TalkingParents has helped with accountability and self-regulation while co-parenting his daughter.
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Corey Gulley has one daughter with his ex-wife. Gulley and his ex were married for four years when they got divorced.
“The reason that we divorced is because of infidelity while I was deployed in Iraq. And that is just something I had to accept. I got through it, but in between, there was one individual who was suffering from the actions that were conducted. And that was our daughter.”
Gulley says that distance and interference from his ex created major challenges for him.
“It was very hard to connect with my daughter so far away. You know, strained holidays, loneliness, and sometimes I would lose contact with my daughter because her mother would intervene. My ex-wife would interrupt me when I was on the phone with my child, and it really wouldn’t feel good because all of a sudden, we would get in an argument in front of our daughter. And eventually, if we continue to do that, our child is going to emulate the same behavior as she gets older.”
Gulley initially discovered TalkingParents through an ad on YouTube and decided to keep it in the back of his mind.
“I think it was July 16th when I had a hearing for child support enforcement, and I brought up TalkingParents to the judge when she asked me if I had any requests.”
The judge granted Gulley’s wish, and he’s been using TalkingParents ever since.
“My favorite feature is the Journal because it keeps me in check. It helps me control my emotions and prevents me from saying something that I’m not supposed to be saying. You’re always supposed to think before you speak and think before you act. So, if I’m mad or irritated by the other parent, instead of sending the message to the parent, I put it in the Journal and then I recollect my thoughts and I modify that message. Then I send it later when the window opens.”
Gulley says the Journal is great for self-regulation.
“The app has helped me control my attitude and improve my patience. It’s really helped change my thoughts from negative to positive, even through my child’s struggles and when adversity is going on. When I go back and look at the Journal to organize and refresh my thoughts, it makes a huge difference.”
He says TalkingParents has also been crucial for accountability.
“Even though the other parent is not cooperating with me, I maintain my professionalism and I still utilize the app. I do not back down from the app because accountability is key, and it lets the judge know that I’m still involved and I’m trying.”
All in all, Gulley says TalkingParents keeps him at peace and his child safe from conflict.
“Whenever we have an issue that does occur, TalkingParents will be beneficial in court. It will show the judge that I care about our daughter, and I’m trying to do my part and make things work. And as for my child, it keeps her out of the mix.”
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