Mother praised for ‘mature’ messages to ex-co-parent

Two parents have decided to separate amicably, refusing to get into a custody battle and instead reaching an agreement themselves – and so far, so good.

On June 8, Courtany Dobson opened up about an intimate side of her life now that she and her former partner, John, are co-parents and exes. Alongside a carousel of screenshots of messages, Courtany wrote on TikTok, “We did not go to court. We did not let strangers decide when our kids could see each other. We do not pay child support. We step in when the other parent needs it. We support each other.”

“The most important thing is that our children thrive and that we give them everything we can,” she continued.

Text messages between the former couple – who split four years ago, according to People – proved that they were more than friendly.

The first screenshot shows Courtany telling John that she was nervous about driving somewhere with their 11-year-old daughter, Harleigh. “Well, just keep your phone with you. What’s the address?” John replied, before adding, “The things we’ll do for our kids.”

Then John’s question of whether he could drop off Harleigh and their six-year-old son, Hudson, at Courtany’s came to the fore.

“This is really cool, let’s go ahead and sign them up,” read another message from John to Courtany, followed by an encouraging message: “The smartest thing to do is be on your phone. No one will bother you.”

In the next slide, Courtany asked John to pay her half of Harleigh and Hudson’s expenses. John then replied that he had sent her the money.

The two exchanged lighthearted comments, gently asked about their availability, and shared some sweet moments with the kids. John sent a particularly heartwarming message to Courtany when he wished her a “Happy Mother’s Day.”

In the comments section of her viral TikTok, Courtany’s followers praised the mother of two for how she and her ex handled their split, prioritizing the well-being of their children 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 the father of my children was that mature.”

“This is how it should be. Your children should not go through this loss,” another TikTok user added.

Talk to PeopleCourtany admitted that she and John sometimes spend time together depending on the situation. However, they always sit together at school events. “We were able to have both kids’ birthday parties together, and let me just say that our kids will always cherish our presence at their birthdays,” she noted.

Courtany also admitted that she was the one who refused a court-ordered custody agreement in exchange for financial support. When the couple divorced, she simply “wanted to walk away.” Today, they are at a point in their relationship where they can support each other and talk to each other in a healthy way.

“The words we used to say to each other have changed drastically over the years. Before, we couldn’t even have a conversation, but now it’s very different,” Courtany told the outlet. “We definitely weren’t as friendly after our divorce. It took a while to get to that point.”

She added: “If you asked our children, they would say we were always nice to each other because we never showed them that side of us.”

The Independent reached out to Courtany for comment.