Single Mother Survival Guide

My (anonymous) guest from last week is back this week to talk about raising teenage girls solo, plus she fills us in on her new relationship.

This is Part 2 of a two-part episode. You can listen to Part 1 here.

Last week she told us about her single mum story - she was with her husband for 18 years when one ordinary day, seven years ago, she got home from work early and discovered that all his clothes were gone. He didn't respond to any attempts she made to communicate with him. He had vanished into thin air.

Almost a week later she was walking through the shopping centre when she ran into him. He completely gaslighted her and called her crazy. My guest describes her experience like her husband being alive one day and dead the next (only he wasn't dead).

In last week's episode we discussed all of that plus my guest also shared:

• how, in hindsight, his behaviour had changed over the 12 months prior in that he was going out regularly until the early hours of the morning and caring more about his appearance,
• how one day she got home and he had just moved back in,
• discovering his new relationship,
• realising how abusive he was after the relationship ended and how he had constantly gaslighted her,
• the continuing abuse and death threats that continued even after the relationship ended,
• child support issues,
• the importance of teaching her children self-respect,
• having to get an AVO out, and
• how, ultimately, she is grateful for the experience because it has made her the woman she is today, and it's made her kids the people they are today.

Links mentioned in the episode:

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

My (anonymous) guest on the show this week was with her husband for 18 years. One ordinary day, seven years ago, she got home from work early and discovered that all his clothes were gone. He didn't respond to any attempts she made to communicate with him. He had vanished into thin air.

Almost a week later she was walking through the shopping centre when she ran into him. He completely gaslighted her and called her crazy. My guest describes her experience like her husband being alive one day and dead the next (only he wasn't dead).

In this episode, my guest shares her story. She also shares:

• how, in hindsight, his behaviour had changed over the 12 months prior in that he was going out regularly until the early hours of the morning and caring more about his appearance,
• how one day she got home and he had just moved back in,
• discovering his new relationship,
• realising how abusive he was after the relationship ended and how he had constantly gaslighted her,
• the continuing abuse and death threats that continued even after the relationship ended,
• child support issues,
• the importance of teaching her children self-respect,
• having to get an AVO out, and
• how, ultimately, she is grateful for the experience because it has made her the woman she is today, and it's made her kids the people they are today.

This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 will be released next week.

Links mentioned in the episode:

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

In this episode, I answer some more questions sent in by listeners. These questions relate to:

• Setting yourself up for leaving a partner.
• When your new partner struggles to accept your children.
• Setting up a parenting schedule to help an ex foster a relationship with your child but they keep letting you down.

Book in for an intensive mentoring session HERE.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

Wilhelmina (Willo) Ford is a single mum and founder of ShareAbode, an Australian wide platform that connects single parents with one another for the purpose of co-living.

Willo had a two-year-old and a three-month-old when she decided to leave her toxic relationship. She decided to relocate interstate and discovered that finding a rental as a recently unemployed (having just sold her business) new single mum impossible. And that was how the idea for ShareAbode was born.

Willo is on the show this week to chat all about her single mum journey and about ShareAbode.

In this episode, Willo shares:

• How she came to the acceptance that leaving the relationship was the right thing to do.
• How she adjusted to becoming a single mum.
• How she felt about becoming a single mum.
• How ShareAbode came about.
• The benefits of co-living for single parents.
• Managing business and single mum life.
• Plus so much more!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Check out ShareAbode right HERE.
• Connect with Willo on Instagram here, and on Facebook here.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

My (anonymous) guest on the show today met her ex-partner at the gym. There were alarm bells from the start - for instance, my guest's ex did not want her to spend time with anyone else and he made her delete all her male contacts on social media. Not long afterwards he forced her to delete all her social media platforms altogether.

After three months they moved in with his mother and her partner (they were also in an unconventional relationship), and her ex soon started exhibiting very angry behaviour. They were forced to move out as her ex's mother didn't want her son's angry behaviour in her home. Within four weeks my guest's ex was physically hurting her.

In this episode, my guest shares her story. She discusses the birth of her son, and how the relationship escalated and the domestic violence built up over time. She talks about how he used knives to taunt her, how he strangled her until she became unconscious, and how in the end he landed in jail (though not for long enough!).

My guest this week has been through a lot over the last few years, but her strength and resilience is truly remarkable. She's a very inspiring woman.

Please note this episode may act as a trigger.

This is Part 2 of a two-part episode. Part 1 was released last week - episode 166.

Links mentioned in the episode:

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

My (anonymous) guest on the show today met her ex-partner at the gym. There were alarm bells from the start - for instance, my guest's ex did not want her to spend time with anyone else and he made her delete all her male contacts on social media. Not long afterwards he forced her to delete all her social media platforms altogether.

After three months they moved in with his mother and her partner (they were also in an unconventional relationship), and her ex soon started exhibiting very angry behaviour. They were forced to move out as her ex's mother didn't want her son's angry behaviour in her home. Within four weeks my guest's ex was physically hurting her.

In this episode, my guest shares her story. She discusses the birth of her son, and how the relationship escalated and the domestic violence built up over time. She talks about how he used knives to taunt her, how he strangled her until she became unconscious, and how in the end he landed in jail (though not for long enough!).

My guest this week has been through a lot over the last few years, but her strength and resilience is truly remarkable. She's a very inspiring woman.

Please note this episode may act as a trigger.

This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 will be released next week.

Links mentioned in the episode:

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

In this episode, I answer some more questions sent in by listeners. These questions relate to:

• When your child suffers at their other parent's house because he/she doesn't get along with the child of that parent's new partner.
• When an ex tries to outdo you with kids birthday celebrations and you are not invited.
• If it's okay to block an ex on your phone if he's giving you anxiety.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Read more, and sign up to the online program for single mothers - Don't Just Survive, THRIVE! - here.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

My guest on the show is Erica Rundle, a single mum and also a women's health counsellor in private practice.

In this episode, Erica and I chat about

• What exactly is a Disneyland dad?
• What characteristics does a Disneyland Dad exhibit?
• Why is a Disneyland dad a Disneyland dad?
• How to manage it as a mum?

Erica helps women through all sorts of challenges including anxiety and depression, separation and divorce, domestic violence and a huge range of other life hurdles. Her mission is to make women feel heard, supported and empowered in all that they face.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Read more, and sign up to the online program for single mothers - Don't Just Survive, THRIVE! - HERE.
• Visit Erica's website here.
• Email Erica here.
• Connect with Erica on Instagram here, on Facebook here, and on Pinterest here.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

In this episode, I answer a common question: Julia, how did you get to be so resilient? I share some strategies with you in the hope that they help build up your resilience too.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Thank you to this week's sponsor, Invisalign.

Bright Smile Dental Coogee.

Blog post - My Invisalign treatment begins.

Read more, and sign up to the online program for single mothers - Don't Just Survive, THRIVE! - here.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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

On Elizabeth's first date with the father of her son, he whisked her away interstate on a plane for the weekend. Over time their relationship deepened and life was good. Very good. Elizabeth was progressing in her career as her journalist, they had bought their dream house, and they got engaged. She then unexpectedly fell pregnant, which although was a shock, was fine because (she thought) she had met the man of her dreams.

Elizabeth knew in her gut that something was wrong in the relationship, but pushed problems under the carpet and justified the problems with the good things in their relationship. That is until the night she discovered her fiancé's infidelity. Her son was 8 months old at the time.

Elizabeth describes that moment in her life as a bookmark. She recalls collapsing and howling with grief, completely overcome with what was happening and unable to know how to get up off the floor. There was the Elizabeth before that moment, and the Elizabeth after that moment. Never the same again.

In this episode, Elizabeth shares her story.

Elizabeth also discusses:

• The spiritual guidance that took over her in those few hours after learning about the infidelity and how that helped her to carry on being a mum to her baby.
• The importance of role modelling to her son what she was going to stand for as a woman, and wanting him to have two parents happy apart rather than unhappy together.
• What the infidelity did to her and how she blamed herself and struggled with her sense of self-worth.
• Dealing with the loss of her dreams.
• How she relished in being a victim and how it validated her anger, but how she eventually felt the need to move out of that headspace and take charge of her life.
• Rebuilding after the infidelity and what helped her heal.
• The benefits she has found being a single mum and how becoming a single mum has helped form an incredible bond between herself and her son.
• Moving on and dating.
• The difficulty of co-parenting after infidelity.
• Her she developed anxiety and started having panic attacks and how that led to realising the importance of self-care and further healing.

Elizabeth is an amazing woman, and she describes how ultimately she is grateful for this experience because it taught her the importance of resilience and independence. A must listen!

Links mentioned in the episode:

Read more, and sign up to the online program for single mothers - Don't Just Survive, THRIVE! - here.

Check out Elizabeth's blog - Bambi and Baby - HERE.

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram here.

To contact Julia, email: [email protected].

Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

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