In this conversation Brian delves into the impact of his parent's divorce on himself, his future relationships, and the intentional way he is now parenting his kids as a single dad. He explores the challenges and experiences of growing up in a divorced family where the acrimony between the parents was at an all time high. He shares how the drastic life change for his mother after divorce was incredibly apparent to him and how they struggled, but he also indicates how his two siblings experienced life very different. Brian highlights his journey of self-discovery and resilience in the face of significant adversity and very negative parenting and exemplifies the attempt to break the cycle.

Takeaways

• Impact of divorce on children
• Positive outcomes from challenging experiences

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Current Life
• 06:12 Moving Between Parents
• 12:04 Conversations with Parents
• 19:06 Impact on Relationships and Marriages
• 27:34 Co-Parenting and Parental Involvement
• 36:27 Therapy and Self-Reflection
• 41:32 Communication with Children
• 48:42 Professional Perspective and Gratitude

Two sisters, Angelina and Montana, detail how they navigated their parents divorce together and how having a sibling made it easier. They describe how their parent's slow separation into divorce actually made the overall adjustment easier and less abrupt. They talk about the realities of going back and forth as teenagers, how one parent made their new residence a happy place and how they feel now believing that their parents did things well, compared to others they know. They highlighted that at the time of divorce and thereafter, their lives were busy and routines were kept and because their lives felt less impacted by the divorce they felt more grounded and stabilized. The episode also explores the importance of open communication and a mother's brave ability to be real, but age appropriate, in talking to her daughters.

Takeaways

• Close sibling bond
• There are ways to create less negative impacts of divorce on children

Chapters

• 00:00 How it all Began
• 05:48 Parenting Schedule
• 11:38 Parental Conflict
• 16:41 Impact on Children
• 22:59 Impact on Adult Life
• 29:11 Community Support

Courtney brings to us the abrupt change of divorce without the memory of any real awareness of it coming. The conversation covers the drastic transition from California to Texas and the impact of her parents' divorce on her in 5th grade. She talks us through the challenges and emotional experiences associated with this specific significant life change and how at a young age she was vocal about what she wanted. The conversation delves into the impact of divorce on children, highlighting the themes of rebellion, independence, and the lasting effects of parental conflict. It emphasizes the importance of effective communication and conflict resolution in co-parenting, as well as the need for empathy and understanding in addressing the emotional needs of children during and after divorce. The conversation delves into the themes of empathy, emotional sensitivity, family dynamics and boundaries. It explores the complexities of parental relationships, wedding dynamics, and the shift in relationships over time.

Takeaways

• Transition from California to Arkansas
• The impact of divorce on children
• The importance of effective communication and conflict resolution in co-parenting
• Empathy and understanding in relationships
• Setting boundaries in relationships

Chapters

• 00:00 Relocating from California to Arkansas
• 05:19 Impact of Parents' Divorce
• 29:00 Rebellion and Custody
• 35:56 Realizing Independence
• 44:08 Impact of Divorce on Children
• 54:10 Parental Conflict and Children
• 01:00:12 Family Dynamics and Boundaries
• 01:06:01 Parental Relationships and Communication
• 01:13:05 Reconciliation and Empathy
• 01:19:02 Positive Impact of Family Dynamics

Autumn takes us through her parents divorce from a very young age. She describes how and when she actually becomes aware of her family dynamic. She delves into the emotional trauma, her coping mechanisms, and the shift in perspective as the speaker navigates through her experiences. It also explores the co-parenting responsibility, family dynamics, resentment, and the role reversal in parenting. The conversation delves into the impact of wanting to live with her father, not understanding the reality of that, having stability with her mother and step-father, but not seeing it clearly at that point in time, the guilt that she felt her father operated from, the reconciliation at some point into adulthood as a caregiver to her step-siblings and how that shaped her own parenting and relationships as an adult.

Takeaways

• Divorce Impact
• Parental Relationships Parenting Impact
• Navigating Transitions

Chapters

• 00:00 Early Childhood and Divorce
• 05:56 Emotional Trauma and Coping
• 11:54 Co-Parenting Responsibility
• 17:54 Living with Father and Siblings
• 29:48 Liver Transplant and Caregiving
• 44:28 Parenting Impact
• 50:44 Emotional Impact on Parenting
• 58:07 Greatest Positive Impact

Angela takes us back to her parent's divorce in elementary school. She explains how the back and forth changed from early childhood into teenage years. She takes us through her wanted to protect her mother from what may have seems like simple happenings at her fathers, the reality that her step-mother was present, etc. She also dives into when she became pregnant at 16 and how both parents handled that incredibly life change. She reflected on how her parental relationships changed as she matured into adulthood. The conversation delves further into the repaired relationship with her father, the impact of divorce on her own relationships and parenting, navigating co-parenting as a young mother and the greatest positive impact of the speaker's experiences.

Takeaways

• Impact of divorce on children
• Navigating relationships with divorced parents; Understanding parental limitations
• Impact of divorce on parenting
• Navigating co-parenting as a teen mother

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Family Background
• 06:06 Adjusting to New Living Arrangements
• 13:24 Observing Parental Interactions
• 22:28 Parental Involvement in Events
• 29:27 Reflecting on Parental Relationships
• 55:35 Greatest Positive Impact

In the debut episode of In Between Them, host Shannon Darrow shares her deeply personal journey through divorce and motherhood, revealing how separation can profoundly impact children. Drawing from lived experience, professional insight, and stories from others who grew up in divorced families, Shannon explores how conflict, emotional overwhelm, and lack of guidance can shape a child’s world. This podcast is a view into the mind of a child as their parent's are navigating divorce. The goal is to expose the actual impacts the varied behaviors, actions, words can have on children so that parents and professionals can do better for children moving forward.

This episode sets the foundation for the reality that compassionate co-parenting is more important than one might think, but also incredibly difficult; it highlights the power of parental impact; and introduces a mission centered on giving children a voice/or parent's a clearer perspective—so they can do divorce better. So children can thrive, not just survive, in the midst of family change.