Hello, everyone! This week, I wanted to pause a moment to speak to you all directly about this wonderful (and sometimes exhausting) summer season. Summertime is filled with so many wonderful opportunities for our kiddos, including the ubiquitous summer camp. Camps are fabulous: they help our children socialize, they encourage them to spend time outside, and they provide a creative outlet to fill the long summer hours. But when our kids have been “on” all day, inevitably they are going to melt...

Life can really get you down, can’t it? As a Solo Parent, there are already so many limitations that seem like they are well beyond our control. We all sometimes feel alone, scattered, or misunderstood. No one could possibly know what I’m going through, right? Well…maybe not. This week, I am happy to share the story of one Mom who wasn’t content to let limitations be her master. Sara Dean is a Seattle-based podcaster and gym owner. She runs the show at Shameless Mom Academy, a podcast all...

Hey there Solo Parents! This week is all about dating, with a fairly heavy emphasis on women and how they navigate relationships. For all our male listeners, we need your feedback too! There are tidbits of wisdom for everyone in this episode, and what a fun topic too. Dating, for better or for worse, is an exhilarating, complicated task. To help us out we sat down with Nichole DiRocco, a dating and life coach with an eye towards the kinds of struggles single parents will inevitably face once...

This week, let’s sit down and do something a little different. I really wanted to share a co-parenting success story that is very near and dear to my heart. Kat was our beloved babysitter, and her parents divorced when she was young. If two parents managed to handle divorce the “right” way, it was Sandra and her husband. I have Kat and Sandra on the show this week, and together they tell the story of their family, just so we can all gain a little perspective. Sure, their family may look a...

One of the best things about this podcast is that we have such a fabulous community. I am thankful for all the comments and questions, and so this week I wanted to change the pace just a bit and tackle one such questions I’m seeing more and more often: How can I take care of myself while my children are away? Ah, yes. Times of separation from our kids can be painful, uncertain, and difficult to manage. When we spend so much of our time and energy making sure our children are happy, healthy,...

When a marriage ends, the effects are far-reaching—from the emotional, psychological, logistical…and financial. I’m sure for so many of us, the last thing on our minds when we begin our Solo Parent journey is our finances. Eventually, the bills start rolling in, and we have to look at the bank statements up close. Houses get sold, finances that were once shared are no longer in a joint bank account. Who can you turn to when you start swimming in dollar signs? Enter Shawn Leamon, host of the...

Once you embark on the Solo Parent Life, there’s a period we all experience when we have to start making some mental shifts. Life as we understood it is changing. As daunting of a task as that might seem, it is also an opportunity to re-define your family. It is a chance to dive right into something new and better than before. That is just what Theresé Connolly did. Theresé is a Mother to one boy and champion of Parents and Families who are ready to grow and develop healthy mindset habits...

The school is ending, and change feels imminent. For a single parent, these times can be both amazing and lovely, but difficult and trying at the same time. Given that season's ebb and flow with the times, it is important to take time to pause and give gratitude for all the wonderful things we have in our lives. When you are living the Solo Parent Life, nothing could be of more importance than a community of good people to support and care for you. When that community reaches back out, well...

Are you struggling to figure out how to work your finances so that you can build a really solid financial future for yourself and your children? If so, you will really benefit from listening to today's show, with Tanya Steinhoff, a Financial Advisor and also a local mom!  Listen in, as Tanya helps you understand how to take ownership of your financial life. It can be really hard to make the right decisions about money, over time, as the children get older and things evolve and change. Tanya...

Do you feel like your lawyer can give you the best financial advice during your divorce? Today’s guest thought so too and ended up making some very costly mistakes. Her mistakes motivated her to become a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst so that she can help others avoid the mistakes she made. Melanie Johnson lives in Austin, TX and her firm specializes in helping people who are going through divorce sort out their finances and plan for their financial future. Clients may be trying to...

Have you ever felt like you are a bad parent? Maybe you’ve felt this way because your child is having a meltdown in the store and you just won’t give them what they want. There are lots of other situations on a daily basis that can test our limits as a parent. Today’s show will offer some alternative methods to help your child through these moments of discomfort, in a way that will make it easier for you to parent in the long term.   Today’s guest is Taylor Ross. Taylor is a local parent...

My guest today is Jax Anderson, of Psykotherapist.com. We are in a Facebook group for therapists together that focuses primarily on marketing, especially through videos. Jax’s work is primarily with teens, and she’s created some cool videos about how to talk to your teen, along with other helpful resources for parents, teachers, and counselors. Two topics that Jax is passionate about are helping 8th graders transition to their high school years, and how to manage a bullying situation. Join...

Does your teenager have anxiety? Being a teenager is hard enough, but add to that peer pressure, social media, school testing and relationships, and it’s no wonder that many of today’s teens are facing a very real battle with anxiety.  If you'd like to learn how to become a pillar of support to your teenagers, to help them through this really challenging time in their lives, listen in to today's show, and find out from Robbin's guest Lorraine Platt, who is with Teen Solutions.   Lorraine...

My guest today is Cindy Witteman, from San Antonio, Texas. She’s a former single mom of three girls who has created a non-profit called Driving Single Parents, Inc. She finds and donates a car, with the license, tax, and title paid, to a needy single parent. Single parents often find it difficult to secure resources and support, but Cindy’s inspiring story shows what can happen with a heart to give back and help others. Join me for Cindy’s story! What you’ll hear in this episode: How the...

My guest today is Laura Harrison, owner of Less Mess, More Life. Laura has helped make some awesome changes to my home and helped me be motivated to purge things that needed to GO. I’ve gotten organized and transformed our family room. My kids were excited and amazed when they saw the house less cluttered and more functional. Do you want to find inspiration and tips on letting go of all those toys, clothes and extra stuff? Laura has nuggets of wisdom to help you! Join us! What you’ll hear in...

If you enjoyed learning about the Hand In Hand approach to connecting with your children and you would like to know more, you will really gain a lot from today's show, with Robin Setchko as guest. Robin was the leader of the Hand In Hand Intensive Group, which was featured in episode 23 of this show (Parenting Through Connection www.soloparentlife.com/23). Listen in today, as she talks to Robbin about her work with Hand In Hand and how it's helped her, both as a professional and as a ...

If you would like to find a new and effective way to really connect with your children, you will gain a lot from Robbin's guest on today's show, Patty Wipfler. Listen in today, to find out about Patty's loving way of listening.   Warm and compassionate Patty, who has worked with thousands of families over many years,  is the author of the book Listen, which offers some groundbreaking tools for parents, to help to strengthen their connection with their children and to build their children's...

If you're a parent going through a difficult transition in your life and you could really use some support, listen in to today's show, with Robbin's guest, Tricia Wiig, and find out how she assists mothers through her faith-based support. Tricia is the Director of Children and Family Ministries at United Methodist in New Valley and she also runs a faith-based support group for mothers. She has a wonderful way of talking to people about how to move through different life transitions and how...

Are you co-parenting with someone who you suspect to be a narcissist? If you would like to find out if this is actually so and what you can do in that case,  listen in to today's show, with Robbin's expert guest, Wendy Behary, who has a really deep understanding of narcissism, having worked with narcissists for more than twenty-five years and find out how to deal with the situation.    Wendy, who has a private practice in Springfield, New Jersey, is the author of the book Disarming The...

My guest today is Anya Manes, whose work I’ve followed for a while. She educates parents about talking to their kids about sex, holding workshops and webinars especially for parents of tweens. After dealing with awkwardness and strife in her family surrounding sex, she became a high school biology teacher and realized the need. She explains practically how to handle these difficult topics with your child, and why you shouldn’t wait until the middle school years to have these discussions! ...

Would you like to know more about the concept of temperament and how it can give you a clearer picture of who you are? Or would you simply like to be able to appreciate others more than you do now? If this rings true for you, listen in today and find out as Stacey Horn, the guest on today's show, spells it out.   Stacey is an ever-evolving social worker, who specializes in relationships. She has been working as a therapist in Aspen, Colorado for the last twenty-five years and now also works...

If you would love to really connect with your kids on a deeper level, but you're battling to keep your head above water with the daily demands of life as a single mom or dad, listen in today and find out how you can adopt a new and more effective approach to parenting.   Today's guest, Julie King is co-author of the book How To Talk So Your Little Kids Will Listen. After completing Law School and having had her first child, Julie became aware of how people were talking to their children and...

We’ve all had moments where we felt negative space between ourselves and our children.  It’s important to find ways to connect with them in those times, in the happy times, and in the sad times. But, sometimes as parents, we need to listen and be supportive and leave space to let them release feelings.  This isn’t about making wrong or right decisions, but allowing them the moments to separate those feelings so that they can make good decisions. Learn how to manage these feelings and handle...

If you're unsure about dating as a single parent, or how to introduce a new partner to your kids, listen in and find out from today's guest, Nettie Reynolds, how single, yet supportive co- parenting has really worked for her and her partner. Nettie, a positive and supporting person with integrity and courage, is a storyteller, a performer, a Hospital Chaplain and the single mom of two young adults. Listen in today and discover how she has managed to incorporate her partner into her life with...

When it comes to navigating life, we could all use a little assistance. Being a single parent is difficult, and it’s reassuring to know you’re not the only one making monumental decisions for yourself and your children. Introducing dating into the mix can also make your life a little more complex. Dating as a single parent is something we will probably all face at some point, so we wanted to give you some great advice to help you steer clear of the pitfalls of dating again! Stay tuned to hear...