For single parents, the word love or the concept of love can bring conflicting beliefs. We have all felt love…a kind of love that we were so sure of that we committed our lives to another person we loved completely. When those hopes get dashed, it can leave us with a misinformed sense or even a fear of love. As we look back on our lives, we have seen our share of poor examples of what love is. Love within normal human limits can look more like codependency, people-pleasing, self-serving, and sometimes even untrue. God puts a serious premium on love being above all else on earth, so what does real love look like, and how can we be better at it?

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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Dating is a sticky subject for solo parents—not only has the dating world changed since we became single parents, but we have changed. We have a lot more to consider in dating relationships. What got us here isn’t going to get us where we want to be. We are all in varying stages of solo parenting, so our approaches to dating may be different. However, there are some ways we can all be wiser when we decide to bring dating into our lives. Today, 2 single dads and 2 single moms discuss Dating Differently.

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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As single parents, one thing we all have in common is that we’re juggling so many balls in the air...all of the time. Paying bills, keeping a job, cooking, cleaning, being a taxi driver, and being a good parent can keep our minds spinning, trying to forecast the next step, the next responsibility, or the next shoe to drop. 

So often on this podcast, we talk about one of the greatest things we can give our kids is our presence, so as we move into this new year and look at our parenting, how can we move towards being more fully present with our kids? What are some practical things we can do, and are there simple approaches we can take to be more engaged with our kids... beyond just the tactical, keeping them healthy, fed, and clothed.

This week we have a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founder of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, Dr. Dan Siegel with us to talk about All Things New: Parenting with Presence.

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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One of the more challenging parts of being a single parent, is trying to figure out how to make things work financially. When we are primarily responsible for the welfare and health of our kids, the financial burden can feel overwhelming. So as we start this new year and talk about approaching a few foundational parts of our life differently. Finances must be one of the issues close to, if not the top of the list.

This week we have a #1 New York Times bestselling author and financial expert, Rachel Cruze, to talk about All Things New: Finding financial peace.

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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Let’s face it, every one of us… And we mean every. single. one. of us struggles with overreacting. Not everybody sees it and often our kids get the short end of the stick with our overreaction. We can fly off the handle with family members, driving, work, this list is extensive. So many of us walk around with our fingers on the trigger of overreaction, and the smallest things cause us to react contrary to what we know is right… or even what we have planned. And frankly, with so much of the burden on us… raising our kids, and keeping our family safe and marginally happy, it’s no wonder that our emotions are close to the surface. The double whammy of this is it once we do overreact, we feel awful and guilty, and that turns into shame and can create its own spiral, which prompts even more overreaction from time to time. 

So as we start this new year and we look for things that we can do differently. How do we address our overreactions and move into a more balanced and stable response to the things happening around us?

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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It’s so true that after becoming a Solo Parent, the dynamics of our friendships and relationships, as well as any romantic connection, can seem to evaporate. In this new year, as we take inventory of the things in our past and we look toward the future, we know how important relationships are, especially in a season that can be so lonely. But where do we meet people? Where do we start? For some of us, we have felt relational rejection, and our trust has been betrayed or, at the very least, damaged. Relationships can feel so awkward, and frankly, it’s hard to think of having the energy or the courage to put ourselves out there again. Yet, we all know that we need relationships more than ever, so as we look at this new year and the idea of all things new, how do we sort through relationships both old and new… both friendships and maybe even romantic… realizing we are in a different place than we use to be. 

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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As single parents, we can feel stuck in the past hurt we have encountered. Many of us feel stuck replaying the mistakes we’ve made, and some don’t like thinking about our past because it can be too painful or shame us. We know that to move forward we need to deal with some of the things that have happened to us... or maybe even the challenges created by us, in our past... but how exactly do we do that? Are there practical steps we can take to avoid repeating some of the same patterns? 

This week we have a special guest with us today, Emotional and Spiritual wellness coach Jeromy Deibler to talk about All Things New: The Way Forward.

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

To be notified when our ‘The way forward’ course is being offered with Jeromy Deibler, email [email protected] and give us your name and put ‘INTERESTED IN THE WAY FORWARD COURSE’ in the subject line.

To get more information on Jeromy and his work visit www.returnandrest.org

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The magic of Christmas is gone. The decorations have to be pulled down and we’ve got bills to pay to cover another Christmas season. We are on the brink of a brand new year, which can feel daunting for some of us. For many of us, our situation hasn’t changed, and although New Year’s day symbolizes a new beginning, a new year… So many things feel the same. The reality of our situation can make looking at a new year almost an exhausting and depressing event. But, like we say every week on this podcast, we always want to end in a place of hope. So for those of us not walking into a new year naturally feeling a sense of hope, what can we do to ground ourselves with a foundation of hope walking into the new year? 

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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As we’ve been talking about this month, the holiday season can heighten all single parents' lonely and painful feelings. The magic that we used to experience, especially when our kids were young and we had an intact family, is now a thing of the past… and because of some of the pain, we can become cynical and feel like we’re stuck in the pain. Some of us can even slip into a sense of bitterness, comparing our lives to others and even the way we used to be. We do our best to try to put on a happy face going into the holidays for the sake of our kids, which often is in stark contrast to what we are feeling inside. So how do we regain a sense of magic and wonder when so much of what we identify about the holidays, reminds us of the pain and dashed hopes we have experienced?

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

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The holidays can be one of solo parents' loneliest times of the year. Some of us miss being with our kids because they’re with the other parent for part of the holidays. Deciding what to get the kids, planning, and shopping on our own can cause a heightened sense of loneliness. Sometimes it feels like the whole world is going on in this magical place and we’re left on the sidelines just looking in at what we used to have. Home alone is a very accurate description of what many of us feel, alone in an empty house that used to be filled with Christmas magic. Today we have some key points that can really help.

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org

Ask us any question and hear yourself on a future podcast. Leave your question by either pushing the 'talk to us' button on accessmore.com or call 888-881-SOLO (7656). Or email your question to [email protected]

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