Solo Parent Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to part one of a series on dating as a solo parent! It’s easy to look outside of ourselves to find someone to love.  Swiping right or updating our profile with good-looking selfies is an exercise in creating the future we think will make us happy.  But what happens when we take a look in the mirror and see what IS? Who are we?  What do we want?  What is best for our kids?  Tune in for some tips on phase one of  getting back into the dating pool as solo-by-choice, divorced, or widowed parents.

In this episode, I talk about…

[2:17] Identity as a solo parent

[4:22] Getting to know yourself before dating

[5:11] Taking yourself on dates

[5:52] Falling in love with your life

Getting to know who you are as an individual is one of the best parts of being a solo, divorced, or widowed person.  It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s worth it.

Website: https://soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://facebook.com/soloparentnation

Got stress? Feeling alone? We got you.  Tune in and get ready to sing with survivors, Joly Herman, Christopher Stibbs, and Munchie Herman in this bonus episode.

I don’t know how often you get out to sing karaoke anymore, but if you’re game, we’re game. I have Christopher Stibbs, a professional who works in a domestic violence shelter (and my guest from episode 17), and Munchie Herman, our in-house therapy dog and amazing vocalist, singing with me on this track.

If you do anything today, find a quiet spot and put in your earbuds - maybe not too loud - and sing along with us, karaoke style.  It feels good!

[0:54] Karaoke: I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor, 1978)

We’re rooting you on all the way, Solo Nation, everything you might be going through. You are a victor, not a victim. And remember-- we might be solo, but we are not alone.

Connect with Christopher:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherstibbs/

Resources:

https://newhousekc.org/

https://www.thehotline.org/

I thought I’d talk about an elephant in the room today: money.  I know a lot of people who wrestle with their relationship with money and I’m totally sympathetic to that, but like anything, the more you focus on a thing the better you get to know it - and knowing what to do about your money is never a bad thing.

I’m going to talk about taking simple steps to make sure that your money is where it needs to be directly after separation or divorce.  I’m not a certified financial professional.  I’m just a person who has been through it, and I needed this advice when I was going through separation and divorce.  I had so much going on, I couldn’t think straight.  So consider this, Money 101.

In this episode, we talk about…

[1:13] The first steps to separate your finances from your ex’s finances

[2:13] Empowering yourself financially by creating a budget

[3:02] Getting your bank statements and documents in order

[3:34] Building your financial team

[4:40] Making sure you get the child support that you deserve

Website: https://www.soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation

I’m interested in healing myself so that I can become a better parent. When I read an article about gaslighting in Psychology Today, I knew I wanted to do an episode about healing from a manipulative relationship. I reached out to the author of the article, and today we are joined by Dr. Stephanie Sarkis.

Dr. Sarkis is a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, gaslighting, narcissistic abuse, and ADHD. She is the author of several books, including the bestselling ‘Gaslighting: Recognize Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People -- and Break Free’.  She is a nationally certified counselor, a licensed mental health counselor, an American Mental Health Counselors Association diplomat, and a Florida Supreme Court certified family and circuit mediator.  She has been in private practice for 20 years and is a senior contributor for Forbes, a contributor to Psychology Today, and the host of the Talking Brains podcast.

In this episode, we talk about…

[2:27] What the term “gaslighting” means

[4:17] Emotional manipulation aimed at your parenting

[5:29] The conditions under which gaslighting occurs

[9:31] Targets of gaslighting

[11:42] How to protect yourself when co-parenting with a manipulative ex

[18:26] Coping with gaslighting

[22:06] How to communicate with people that have manipulative tendencies

[23:41] Making sure our kids are safe in the care of a co-parent

[27:15] Recovering from gaslighting

[29:56] Red flags in the dating world

Connect with Dr. Stephanie Sarkis

Website: www.stephaniesarkis.com

Blog: www.stephaniesarkis.com/blog

YouTube: www.youtube.com/StephanieSarkis

Twitter: www.twitter.com/stephaniesarkis

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StephanieSarkisPhD

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarkisphd

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/StephanieSarkis

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/StephanieSarkis

Twitch: www.twitch.tv/StephanieSarkis

Connect with Joly:
Website: https://www.soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation

Today, two worlds collide.  In my day job I work as a reviewer for Common Sense Media, an organization that helps families make decisions about their kids’ media choices. Knowing that I am an advocate for families, my editor tends to assign books to me that focus on kids going through family stuff.  

Kids can benefit from seeing parts of their lives reflected in the books they read.  It helps them to feel like their experiences are normal.  I want to share some book suggestions with you, and you can find the links in the show notes.  These are books I have read to or with my kid to help open her horizons and to see that families can look different and that kids have a place in them, no matter what.

In this episode, we talk about…

[1:21] Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban

Book

Full Review

[2:17] Pavi Sharma’s Guide to Going Home by Bridget Farr

Book

Full Review

[3:03] Parked by Danielle Svetcov

Book

Full Review

Website: https://www.soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation

Raising kids is one thing. Raising a kid to become an adult is another. On this episode of The Solo Parent Podcast, we’re getting some wisdom from Kevin Hellon, Jr., Founder and CEO of Life Skills Preparatory (https://lifeskillsprep.com/), online courses to help young adults learn the lessons they need to learn in order to thrive in the world. Kevin wears other hats too: he is Founder and CEO of The Hellon Corp, and Offstream Entertainment in L.A.

Kevin knows what he’s talking about. He’s raised a son who works with him at Offstream Entertainment, and he is a devoted dad to a smart preteen girl. He also homeschooled his son, while he was working full time, encouraging his son to pursue the natural skills and interests he noticed in him. It worked.

Kevin was an integral part in the founding and development of Solo Parent Magazine, and he was raised by a Solo Dad himself. He’s been in law enforcement, he’s developed major websites, owned several successful businesses, and has counseled many business owners as they work towards realizing their dreams. 

In this episode, Kevin and I talk about the importance of raising kids who can be themselves in the world.

In this episode, we talk about…

[3:39] Kevin’s inspiration behind Life Skills Preparatory

[6:18] The decision to homeschool

[10:12] Teaching your kids how to “adult”

[12:36] How Kevin learned to start a business

[14:36] Kevin’s advice to parents of young adults to help their kids become more independent

[19:37] Embracing your children’s interests

[28:05] The recommended age range for Life Skills Preparatory

Website: https://www.soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation 

Today I’m discussing how to answer the question that a lot of families roll around in their minds: Are divorced parents still a family?

No one goes into a marriage thinking about divorce. According to the American Psychological Association, almost 90% of people in Western cultures get married. 40-50% of marriages end in divorce. Even though it is common, divorce is one of the most stressful life events. No wonder there is so much confusion about whether a divorced family is still a family.

In this episode, we talk about…

[1:31] Confusion and stressors related to divorce

[2:00] What we consider family

[2:36] Thinking of generational goals

Website: https://www.soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation

This single mom works hard to run three successful restaurants and everybody loves her - especially her daughter!  How does she do it?

In this episode, we are visited by the Martha Stewart of the Midwest, Jo Marie Scaglia, whose fast-fresh concept makes Kansas City a better place. Some people call her the “Salad Lady,” because her two locations of  The Mixx and their sister restaurant, Caffetteria, focus on fresh, healthy foods. She’s crazy inventive, and she’s really good at what she does. She’s also a solo mom to a super smart, totally adorbs daughter. Jo Marie talks about how she makes it all work.

In this episode, we talk about…

[1:19] Jo Marie’s background and how she started her business

[4:03] Solo parenting as an entrepreneur

[8:27] Leading by example and being a good role model

[10:15] Involving your parents as a solo parent

[11:30] Handling things that don’t go as planned

[14:27] Finding support and caregivers outside the family

[19:13] Family meals for solo parents

[23:30] Spending quality time with your children

Website: https://www.soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation

Connect with Jo Marie online:

https://www.mixxingitup.com

https://www.caffetteriamoderncafe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caffetteriacafe/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaffetteriaCafe/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/caffetteriacafe

DON’T DO THIS AT HOME! LESSONS FROM SOLO PARENTS AND EXPERTS ABOUT WHAT TO DO— AND WHAT NOT TO DO— WHEN YOU ARE A DIVORCED PARENT.

Also known as the-don’t-badmouth-your-ex episode, here’s a very important cornerstone in the raising of healthy children. Joly Herman, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Solo Parent Magazine (www.soloparentmag.com) breaks down the when’s and why’s of talking about your ex with your kids.

You are not alone: parenting in a non-traditional framework is the new normal. Yet, the parenting books on the shelves aren’t talking to us. That’s why Solo Parent Magazine has brought you this podcast series. We’re here to help you raise your kids in the healthiest, happiest way possible. We believe that all families are normal, that all families are whole. So if you are raising kids as a single parent, as a co-parent, a divorced parent, a widowed parent, or if you are a step-parent, you have found your home. We are here to inform, educate, and inspire you on your unique and challenging parenting journey.

In this episode, we talk about…

[0:58] Don’t badmouth your ex in front of your child(ren)

[1:25] How children handle negative comments about their parents

[2:33] The three primary reasons a parent may speak negatively of the other parent

[3:32] How to speak kindly but honestly about a parent who is unfit

[4:22] The gray area between what really happened and a child’s perception of what happened

[6:07] Listen without judgment and reflect

Website: www.soloparentmag.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation

Hello Solo Nation! Today we have a super special treat for you, so put in your earbuds and get ready to rock it. Today we’re going to get some real answers about self care. What is self care, you ask? That elusive concept that nobody’s got time for? Because I got to get my kids ready for school, get myself ready for work, get my deadlines met, make all the meals, clean up all the messes, and be the emotional sounding board for my kids too. Who has time for me?

You do.   And you must. 

Today, Dr. Stephanie Moulton Sarkis is with us. She is a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, gaslighting, narcissistic abuse, and ADHD. She is the author of several books, including the best-selling Gaslighting: Recognize Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People - and Break Free.  She is a National Certified Counselor, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an American Mental Health Counselors Association Diplomate, and a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family and Circuit Mediator.  She’s been in private practice for 20 years.  She’s a senior contributor for Forbes, and is also a contributor to Psychology Today.  She’s the host of the Talking Brains podcast, and she’s based in Tampa, Florida.  You can find her website at www.stephaniesarkis.com.

In this episode, we talk about…

[1:57] Why solo parents should prioritize self-care

[3:48] Reactive stress

[5:26] Relaxation techniques

[9:21] Dealing with grief

[12:33] Techniques to help when you have a child going through stress

[17:02] Getting into the swing of a custody arrangement

[21:13] How to maintain self-care when your kids are taking out their anxiety and grief on us

[27:24] Finding joy in difficult moments

Website: https://www.soloparentmag.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soloparentpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soloparentnation

Connect with Dr. Sarkis online:

Blog: www.stephaniesarkis.com/blog

YouTube: www.youtube.com/StephanieSarkis

Twitter: www.twitter.com/stephaniesarkis

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StephanieSarkisPhD

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarkisphd

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/StephanieSarkis

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/StephanieSarkis

Twitch: www.twitch.tv/StephanieSarkis