This week's guest is Leon Wenham, who you'll find talking about his journey as a black, gay, solo adopter on Instagram at @lots_andlotsoflove. Listen to his interview to hear a positive story about solo gay adoption, the upsides of going it alone, (and a realistic take on the hard bits, too). You'll also hear Leon's thoughts and advice on topics including transracial adoption, otherisms at the school gates, and navigating conversations around adoption, race and sexuality. You can download the Frolo app to connect with likeminded single parents at https://www.frolo.com/community , follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/frolo_app/ and buy your copy of How To Be A Happy Single Parent at https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Happy-Single-Parent-ebook/dp/B0BW3YDD1K/  

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This week's guest we speak to Helen Thorn, best-selling author of Get Divorced, Be Happy, and one half of the hilarious comedy duo Scummy Mummies. As well as sharing her single parent story with us, Helen speaks frankly about the challenges of single parenting after the break-down of a relationship, and how you can rebuild a life that you love. You can download the Frolo app to connect with likeminded single parents at https://www.frolo.com/community, follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/frolo_app/ and buy your copy of How To Be A Happy Single Parent at https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Happy-Single-Parent-ebook/dp/B0BW3YDD1K/

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“I was 19 and I had three months to transition from being a 19 year old freshers student into being a mum.”

When Jas was 16 she became involved with a much older man, in what turned out to be a very toxic and unhealthy relationship. She discovered that her son Bertie was on the way when she was five months pregnant and so had only a short amount of time to get used to the idea of becoming a mum at such a young age. Bertie is now three, and during lockdown she decided to embark on a new adventure that would allow her and her son to explore the world on a very small budget and she bought an old VW van.

In this episode of the Frolo podcast, Jas talks to Zoë about:

●      How having a baby made her realise just how unhealthy her relationship was and triggered the break up.

●      Attempting to co-parent and then being told by Bertie’s father, via text message, that he didn’t want any more to do with them.

●      How she bought her rusty old VW van on a whim, selling her car to fund it.

●      Discovering the kindness of strangers as she refurbished her van with zero knowledge or experience.

●      How Barbs the van has given her and her son a new freedom to explore the world and connect with nature.

If you enjoyed this episode of ‘Frolo - The Single Parent Podcast’, please take a minute to rate it and leave a review - it means a lot to us and helps us to reach more people.

Find out more about Frolo and download the Frolo app via our website: https://frolo.com

Follow Frolo on Instagram: https://instagram.com/frolo_app

Sign up to the Frolo newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKYKBY

Find Jas:

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbs_the_van_and_friends/

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“Telling your sweet, innocent children their Dad is dead are not words that comfortably come out of your mouth.”

On September 11th 2016 Karen’s husband Simon went out for a Sunday morning bike ride with a friend and never came home. Simon suffered a cardiac arrest and his death completely shattered Karen. Suddenly she found herself a single parent to her two children, then aged nine and five, grieving not just the loss of her husband, but of a life and a future that had both been completely turned on their heads.

In this episode of the Frolo podcast, Karen talks to Zoë about:

●      How her life changed forever on that one day in 2016 and how she initially dealt with the shock.

●      The importance of being completely honest with children following a bereavement, even when the words sound harsh.

●      How her friends, family and wider community rallied to carry Karen and her children through the first few months of grief.

●      Working with a life coach, two and a half years after Simon’s death, and how that transformed her mindset, leaving her now in a place where she’s genuinely happy again.

●      Wanting to share her learning with others and the process of retraining and becoming a grief coach.

If you enjoyed this episode of ‘Frolo - The Single Parent Podcast’, please take a minute to rate it and leave a review - it means a lot to us and helps us to reach more people.

Find out more about Frolo and download the Frolo app via our website: https://frolo.com

Follow Frolo on Instagram: https://instagram.com/frolo_app

Sign up to the Frolo newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKYKBY

Find Karen:

One her website: https://www.karensutton.co.uk/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karensuttonwidowcoach

 This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative @decibelle_creative

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I appeared to be functioning at a very high level. I had all the things that I think are the ‘trimmings’ of a successful life, yet my feelings, my emptiness, was so, so pervasive.”

Dr. Nicole LePera felt like she lived the perfect life, and yet she felt empty, stuck in the same patterns of behaviour, living on autopilot. Over many years of self-reflection and professional training, she has learned to live more consciously. Consciousness in everything we do, from eating to sleeping, can help us as single parents to heal ourselves and to show up in the best possible way for our children.

In this episode of the Frolo podcast, Dr. Nicole LePera talks to Zoë about:

●      Her own ‘dark night of the soul’ - realising that there was something wrong, and beginning the process of change.

●      The importance of vulnerability as a tool to connect more deeply with others, even (and especially) when it feels like a terrifying thing to do.

●      How to bridge the gap between insight and action and take the first steps towards change.

●      How regular ‘check ins’ with yourself through the day can help to retrain your brain to a new level of consciousness.

●      Why we often equate familiarity to safety and how this leads to us repeating the same patterns, especially in relationships.

●      Conscious parenting and leading through example to create emotional resilience in ourselves and our children.

If you enjoyed this episode of ‘Frolo - The Single Parent Podcast’, please take a minute to rate it and leave a review - it means a lot to us and helps us to reach more people.

Find out more about Frolo and download the Frolo app via our website: https://frolo.com

Follow Frolo on Instagram: https://instagram.com/frolo_app

Sign up to the Frolo newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKYKBY

Find Dr. Nicole LePera:

On her website: https://yourholisticpsychologist.com/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.psychologist/  

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative @decibelle_creative

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I just felt like something wasn’t right. I rushed him into the hospital and the doctors were brilliant. For the first year I was just getting diagnosis after diagnosis.”

Jaxon was just six days old when mum Kaytee first felt like something wasn’t right. A trip to the hospital led to tests, which led to more tests, and over the course of Jaxon’s first year he was diagnosed with a range of complex syndromes, some of which have never been seen together in one person.

In this episode of the Frolo podcast, Kaytee talks to Zoë about:

●      Dealing with a relationship breakdown, on top of already extreme amounts of stress, when Jaxon was just three months old.

●      How it felt to be told one day to ‘go home and make memories’ by doctors who didn’t think her son would survive.

●      How she manages the relentless regime of tube feeding, medication, vomiting, nappies and sleepless nights, all alongside the admin that comes with Jaxon’s complex medical needs.

●      Deciding to grab life by the horns and travel alone with Jaxon to Spain, Italy, Dubai and more.

●      How despite the strain, Jaxon is a huge source of joy and a true pleasure to be around.

If you enjoyed this episode of ‘Frolo - The Single Parent Podcast’, please take a minute to rate it and leave a review - it means a lot to us and helps us to reach more people.

Find out more about Frolo and download the Frolo app via our website: https://frolo.com

Follow Frolo on Instagram: https://instagram.com/frolo_app

Sign up to the Frolo newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKYKBY

Find Kaytee:

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenursemum/

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“On the day that I was approved to be his adoptive parent I went to the foster carer’s home for dinner. It was such an amazing feeling because I knew he was going to be mine.”

Becoming a parent is a massive life change for anyone but deciding to become a solo parent, and then going through the process of adoption alone, is not something anyone enters into lightly. For Leon, it was something he’d dreamed about since aged 18 when he first decided that solo adoption was going to be his journey. Two years after becoming the father to his son, now six, Leon talks to Frolo founder Zoë Desmond about the adoption process and how it feels being a single adoptive dad.

In this episode of the Frolo podcast, Leon talks to Zoë about:

●      How he thought about adoption as a solo parent from age 18.

●      The adoption process and how long it took to go from that first phone call to being matched with his son.

●      Meeting his son for the first time on a slightly awkward visit to a soft play centre.

●      How to talk to children about diversity, regardless of their race or background.

●      Why honesty and openness around adoption is vital.

●      How he came to write his debut children’s picture book - ‘You, Me and Lots and Lots of Love’

If you enjoyed this episode of ‘Frolo - The Single Parent Podcast’, please take a minute to rate it and leave a review - it means a lot to us and helps us to reach more people.

Find out more about Frolo and download the Frolo app via our website: https://frolo.com

Follow Frolo on Instagram: https://instagram.com/frolo_app

Sign up to the Frolo newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKYKBY

Find Leon:

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lots_andlotsoflove/

This episode is sponsored by Bundle Beds, the ultimate travel bed. Get 10% off with the code FROLO10 at https://www.bundlebeds.com

Other resources mentioned in the show:

Round Table Books: https://www.instagram.com/roundtablebooks/

Inclusive Story Time: https://www.instagram.com/inclusivestorytime/

JoJo and Gran Gran on Cbeebies: https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/jojo-and-gran

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative:

Instagram: @decibelle_creative

www.decibellecreative.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Anyone who tries to tell you how to train your child or train your baby, that’s the path to misery for me.”

In business, Fleur Emery is a force to be reckoned with, a hyper-efficient ball of energy, renowned for her firm boundaries and unapologetic authenticity. When Fleur became a single parent in her early 40s, she was taken completely by surprise, having already grieved the idea of never becoming a mum. Her approach to parenting surprised her too, being so different in so many ways from her approach to work. She’s embraced attachment parenting and a completely child-centric lifestyle, creating a peaceful and rewarding home and life for herself and her daughter.

In this episode of the Frolo podcast, Fleur talks to Zoë about:

●      How living in London during her twenties and embracing party culture took her to rock bottom, and how she turned that around to find a place where she embraces life every day.

●      Creating her first business, Grasshopper Porridge, from scratch and what she would do differently if she had the time over.

●      Becoming pregnant aged 42 after coming to terms with the idea that she would never be a mum.

●      Her latest venture, Real Work, an online co-working space for women, and how she fits running her own business into school hours.

●      How being in bed by 7pm with her daughter listening to The Archers is now everything she wants.

If you enjoyed this episode of ‘Frolo - The Single Parent Podcast’, please take a minute to rate it and leave a review - it means a lot to us and helps us to reach more people.

Find out more about Frolo and download the Frolo app via our website: https://frolo.com

Follow Frolo on Instagram: @frolo_app

Sign up to the Frolo newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKYKBY

Find Fleur:

On Instagram: @doreal.work

Find out more about REALWORK: https://www.doreal.work/

This episode is sponsored by Eedi, online maths lessons for children: https://family.eedi.com/signup/parent?via=frolo 

This podcast is produced by Buckers at Decibelle Creative @decibelle_creative

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.