Single Mother Survival Guide

This week on the show, I have a single mum, Kate, sharing her story.

Kate has been a single mum for 2.5 years and is a part of my Thrive Tribe community.

Kate shares:

• How she suffered from anxiety but didn't realise it was due to the relationship.
• Her experience with gaslighting.
• How her ex was deployed for five months during her pregnancy, and how she felt lighter and happier and didn't realise until later that it was because he was away.
• What it was like having a new baby in a relationship that felt very fragile.
• Discovering her husband/s affair and his denial of it.
• Her experience of marriage counselling.
• Coming to the decision to divorce her husband.
• The positive changes that she has implemented since becoming a single mum.
• And SO MUCH MORE!

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In this episode, I touch base with an anonymous guest I chatted with in 2020 where she shared her experience of living with sexual abuse over a two part episode series.

At the time, she had been a single mum for two and a half years. and had two daughters, aged two and four.

In Part 1, episode 191, my guest shared her experience with domestic violence, and specifically the sexual abuse she received from her partner of over 10 years. She left him when she was 8 months pregnant with her second daughter.

She also shared how her experience led to her interest and research into psychology and neurology, the support she received from Lifeline and 1800 Respect, and how she learned about domestic violence and came to the realisation that she herself was in an abusive relationship.

In Part 2, episode 192, she continued her story. Along with sharing how her relationship came to an end, she also talked about:

• How she hung onto the relationship in the hope that he would change.
• The suicide threats she received during their relationship.
• The fear that she had of the repercussions of taking out an AVO against her partner, and constantly worrying about how he would react about things.
• The support that she received from her family support worker as well as from the brother (and his wife) of her (ex) partner.
• Dealing with her experience living in a small town, and how domestic violence was such a foreign concept for her immediate community.
• The worry that she had about her kids.
• And so much more!

In this episode, Part 3, my guest fills us in on what she has been up to over the last year and the tremendous growth that she has had coming out the other side of her experience and the happiness that she now feels.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

Listen to Episode 191 (Part 1) HERE.

Listen to Episode 192 (Part 2) HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Are you worried about your child (or children) having anxiety? Not sure how to help them?

In this episode, I chat with the lovely Deb Hopper. As a practicing Occupational Therapist, Deb Hopper has over 20 years of experience working with children and adults who struggle with autism, anxiety, emotional regulation, and sensory processing difficulties.

Deb chats with me in this episode about:

• what anxiety is and how to recognize signs that you or your children have it,
• how life can be improved without anxiety,
• how to recognize the difference between what is normal behavior for children and what may be an indicator for anxiety,
• the four anchors of reducing anxiety,
• and so much more!

Deb enjoys working in her private practice and supervises and mentors Occupational Therapists. She loves to create resources, online courses, and books for adults and children and is the author of the book Teaching Kids to Manage Anxiety: Superstar Practical Strategies. She is passionate about helping kids reduce their anxiety and worries in every facet of their life at home, school, and in the community.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To learn more about Deb and what she does, plus get access to resources, visit https://www.lifeskills4kids.com.au/tip-sheets/.

You can purchase Deb's book, Teaching Kids to Manage Anxiety: Superstar Practical Strategies, HERE.

You can also connect with Deb on Instagram here, on Facebook here and here, on LinkedIn here, and on Twitter here.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

On Tuesday, the 11th of May 2021, the 2021-22 Australian Budget was released. Confused about what the changes are and how they affect you?

In this episode, I chat with the lovely Katherine Hayes, Director and Principal Adviser at Hayes and Co Insurance Services, who breaks down the Budget for us and shares how it affects single parents and women.

She discusses the changes in areas likely to impact us including housing, superannuation, tax, childcare, medical, Centrelink, and domestic violence.

Katherine has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and has specialized in providing personal protection strategy advice since 2008. Katherine has won multiple awards for her role as a risk specialist and customer service awards. Katherine is a published author and the co-host of the personal finance education podcast Money Madams. And she also sits on the advisory board of a major insurance company and helps with policy direction, product design, client service standards, and initiatives along with policy improvement and client advocacy matters.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

Get in touch with Katherine, and check out Hayes and Co Insurance Services HERE.

Check out the Money Madams Podcast HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

This month marks eight years of single parenting for me, and I have learned a lot over these years.

By no means do I have everything sorted at all times. There are some really difficult aspects of single parenting that I struggle with, but I have learned some lessons that have definitely made life as a single mum easier, and have even helped me to thrive.

In this episode, I share some of the most useful lessons I have learned about single motherhood.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

For many of us single mums, Mother's Day can be a harder day than most. Particularly if you have come from a situation where you were previously pampered and spoilt on Mother's Day by your partner at the time, or if it's your first Mother's Day as a single mum. It can be a reminder as to what has been lost.

If you're feeling vulnerable this Mother's Day, here are some tips to ease the struggle.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

This week on the show, I have Liz joining me. For 25 years, Liz was married to a gambling addict.

In hindsight, the first red flag was when her ex never paid her back for her engagement ring. He had told her he wasn't good with money and had spent the money intended for the ring.

One day Liz went to buy groceries from the joint spending account and all the money was gone. Over time, her ex finally admitted to having a gambling problem.

When Liz was in hospital having their first baby, her ex completely drained her bank accounts. The same thing happened when she was in hospital having their second baby.

Not wanting anyone thinking badly of him, she kept the secret to herself and spent years covering for him and paying people back that he owed money to.

Over the years, things went from bad to worse, and he even started gaslighting her, which resulted in Liz thinking she was imagining things. They experienced breaking up and getting back together, gambling counselling and rehab attempts, holidays where he disappeared gambling the entire time, suicide attempts and threats, and so much more. Liz shares how her ex even stole money from their daughters.

This is a sad story, but ultimately one of hope, inspiration, and empowerment. Liz finds the strength to leave her husband and her toxic marriage for good and starts the new chapter of her life.

In this episode, Liz shares Part 2 of her story (check out last week's episode, Episode 244, where she shares Part 1).

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

This week on the show, I have Liz joining me. For 25 years, Liz was married to a gambling addict.

In hindsight, the first red flag was when her ex never paid her back for her engagement ring. He had told her he wasn't good with money and had spent the money intended for the ring.

One day Liz went to buy groceries from the joint spending account and all the money was gone. Over time, her ex finally admitted to having a gambling problem.

When Liz was in hospital having their first baby, her ex completely drained her bank accounts. The same thing happened when she was in hospital having their second baby.

Not wanting anyone thinking badly of him, she kept the secret to herself and spent years covering for him and paying people back that he owed money to.

Over the years, things went from bad to worse, and he even started gaslighting her, which resulted in Liz thinking she was imagining things. They experienced breaking up and getting back together, gambling counselling and rehab attempts, holidays where he disappeared gambling the entire time, suicide attempts and threats, and so much more. Liz shares how her ex even stole money from their daughters.

This is a sad story, but ultimately one of hope, inspiration, and empowerment. Liz finds the strength to leave her husband and her toxic marriage for good and starts the new chapter of her life.

In this episode, Liz shares Part 1 of her story (stay tuned for next week, where she shares Part 2).

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

When my daughter was younger, every time she was with her father, I would worry that my ex may not bring her back. It's a feeling I hope most won't ever know. But for a small percentage of us, the possibility is real.

During those times, I would go through a period of a few dark, dark days. And even though I've spent years working on my mindset, sometimes the darkness was still hard to shake.

If you can relate to that fear, then you are not alone. In this episode, I share ten strategies that used to help me. I hope that by sharing some strategies that worked for me, perhaps you will find some that will work for you too.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Co-parenting. It's a word that can evoke enough anxiety in someone to induce a panic attack. Or maybe it's so smooth sailing, it doesn't bring you a worry in the world.

Love it or hate it, it's sure to be a conversation starter at any single mums group.

In this episode, I give you a summary of three common co-parenting styles.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too.

Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.