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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 —> ASK US ANYTHING! 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

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 —> ASK US ANYTHING! 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

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 different place than we use to be.  For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org —> ASK US ANYTHING! 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

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 info@SoloParent.org 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 ASK US ANYTHING! 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

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 Get your FREE - ZAKAR jar label 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

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 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

Is Christmas the most wonderful time of the year? Really? For many of us solos, it is often one of the most challenging times of the year, if we’re honest. When we first got married, we imagined a beautiful life, an ideal marriage, and perfect holidays. Especially after our kids were born, Christmas took on a new magical meaning. But now all of that is behind us, and our life looks very different. When we get into the holidays, we can be consumed with questions of what if… What if I could’ve kept the marriage together? What if I had a partner now? Sometimes we can even romanticize the memories of what we used to have. The Christmas season brings the hopes and dreams we used to have, back to the surface. When we see all the Christmas ads, and hear the Christmas music, undoubtedly, from time to time, some of those memories pop up, bringing with it a certain ache inside. We do our best to create the magic of Christmas for our kids but for many of us, if we are honest, we are faking it. So it begs the question, what is so wonderful about life? On this episode, we explore this. 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional  Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

When the foundation we built for our home and family gets destroyed, whether through a divorce, the death of a spouse, or even the unexpected, life-altering news that you are going to parent alone, it can lead to a real sense of despair. Feelings of failure and unworthiness can permeate our minds. For many of us, it’s a natural stretch to have a sense of worth in brokenness when it feels like all we have are the scraps or pieces of what ‘used to be’… and the exhaustion of trying to keep those pieces together. As we talk about often, it is in these moments that we are closer - or maybe it is better said - God is closer to our brokenheartedness. But how do we actualize a sense of empowerment when we are struggling to just get by? Our guest today is Toni Collier the founder of an international women’s ministry called Broken Crayons Still Color, which helps women process through brokenness and get to hope. She is a Speaker, Host, and Author of Brave Enough to be Broken. 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

Holidays bring out unique and challenging situations for Solo parents. Having to interact with old relationships from our past, whether interacting with your ex, ex-in-laws, or stepping into our own family, can sometimes heighten our sense of failure and inadequacy. Or maybe it’s being around healthy relationships that remind us, in this vulnerable season, of what we don’t have. Being home for the holidays can impact our self-worth. So as we go into the holiday season, we might ask if it is even worth spending time with family when it just heightens my anxiety and negative feelings. So how do we cope with those family dynamics, or those dynamics with people from our past, and try to maintain a positive outlook not only for our kids, but also for our well-being? Today we will discuss this and identify five tips to approach this holiday season with strength. 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID

Mental health has become so much a part of our culture’s narrative these days. As single parents, we certainly are acquainted with feeling traumatized, scattered, and overwhelmed. When we think about our mental health, we are often in a hurry to try to fix a condition, but the core issue is often deeper. We have spent most of our lives abandoning ourselves to keep connected. We were meeting others' expectations and not speaking up for our own wants and needs. If we’re honest with ourselves as we look back, we notice that we have spent most of our lives performing and playing roles and have become out of touch with our own true selves. When we don’t have a good relationship with ourselves and our worth, it can lead to depression, co-dependency, and anxiety because we have lost the true understanding of who we are. So today, we are going to explore what it would look like not to run to change or fix mental health symptoms but instead get to one of the core issues of mental health, and that is our sense of worth, and we have three helpful key points. 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 accesmore.com or call 888-881-SOLO (7656). Or email your question to info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

As we say goodbye to our co-host Kimberley Mitchell, worth is a very appropriate topic. Where we find our worth is a search we’ve been on since we were little children. The older we get, the more layers we seem to pile on the core of who we are. Those layers might look like achievements, or they might look like failures, a job that we’re doing, what we’re known for… All of those things contribute to who we are, but it’s easy to allow those things to create our sense of worth and identity. For those of us who have been around the church for so long, much of what we have learned is about performing. When part of who you are is being known for being a co-host on a podcast, stepping away can affect a sense of worth. So today, Kim speaks candidly about how stepping away from a sense of contributing or playing a public role can play into our sense of worth. And she reflects on the early days of being a solo mom, and we explore the quest we have been on since childhood, where we find our worth. 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 info@SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

The heart-wrenching whirlwind of divorce or the trauma of losing a spouse to death can leave us completely depleted of our identity. Trying to navigate the chaotic and exhausting world of juggling all the demands of raising our kids on our own can leave us at a loss of who we are. Not recognizing who we were, who we are now, and who we are supposed to become can seem elusive while we’re just struggling to get by. So as a part of self-care, how can we begin to reclaim our identity, to discover confidence in who we are and how we fit in this new reality? In this episode, we are going to explore this. ? Our guest this week is Dr. Dan Allender. For over 30 years, the Allender Theory has brought healing and transformation to hundreds of thousands of lives by bridging the story of the gospel and the stories of trauma and abuse that mark so many. He founded The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, and The Allender Center and is a best selling author of 9 books. He has counseled and led millions of people towards caring for themselves. For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

Raising our kids on our own is so difficult. With limited resources and time, we can go crazy trying to meet all their needs and keep our kids happy and healthy. So often, we can fall into the trap of overcompensating; because our kids have been through difficult things, we try to make their happiness our top priority. Unfortunately, doing this creates a bottomless well that we can never fill up, leaving us depleted… and not healthy for our kids. So how do we draw appropriate boundaries with our kids that are not only a form of caring for ourselves but also serve their development? Our guest today is an Instagram sensation with over 780,000 followers, Dr. Siggie. She is a counselor who has been working with families for 30 years. For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

Many of us can feel guilty because we're not sticking to a Bible reading or prayer time in the morning like we used to. When we think about spiritual discipline in our lives, we often go to shame, like we are not a good Christian because we had difficulty having quiet time every morning. Well, this episode isn’t about shame; in fact, today, we’re not going to talk about comparing our quiet time as a measure of what a good Christian we are or if God is happy with the time we are putting in. We are going to explore perhaps a new way of approaching spiritual discipline. What if spiritual discipline goes beyond the intellectual exercise of reading and praying, as many of us have been taught? What if our spiritual discipline wasn’t about fulfilling what God or the Church’s expectation of us are, but was actually a deep soul self-care? Our guest is Anthony Skinner, a Spiritual Director, Prayer, Meditation, Enneagram practitioner, Music and Podcast Producer, award-winning Songwriter, Recording Artist, and Worship Leader, and cohost of the popular Typology Podcast (over 20 million downloads). He is also the guy behind a devotional and meditation program called “Shamah Way”, which is so appropriate for this topic of spiritual discipline as self care.  For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org Shamah way - shamahway.com Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book  Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

Like we said last week, Self-care is a common buzz word that every single parent has heard. But what does that really mean, and where do we start with it? It seems the cultural narratives are way off base. What the world tells us about self-care is more about self-indulging ourselves because we deserve it, or self-sufficiency. The idea of treating yourself to a spa day, or something nice isn’t wrong in and of itself… but there’s more to self-care than is being advertised. Last week we explored what self-care looks like for us internally - in other words…what we can do for ourselves - things that we have control over  Today we will focus on the other side of redefining self-care - External self-care, which is what we can do or where we can go outside of ourselves, in other words external interaction that feeds our soul.  For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

Self-care is a common buzz word that every single parent has heard. We know we need to take care of ourselves so that we have something to give to our kids. Self-care is essential, but as advertised on social media and TV all around us, self-care seems to be more about treating ourselves to special things. It can seem more like numbing or a Band-Aid so that we can ignore our struggles. But here’s the thing, cultural narratives are way off base. What the world tells us about self-care is more about self-indulging because we deserve it or self-sufficiency. The idea of treating yourself to a spa day, or getting a manicure and pedicure, or even shopping are not necessarily wrong in and of themselves… but there’s more to self-care that is being advertised. So for the next two weeks, we’ll do our best to redefine what self-care might look like, breaking it into two sections. In this episode, we explore internal self-care, and next week will dive into external self-care.  For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

As single parents, we are very, very acquainted with our shortcomings. It may have been a big indiscretion or mistake that we’ve made in our past, or maybe the day-to-day awareness that we’re not doing everything perfectly. In either case, most of us carry around a low-grade sense of shame a lot of the time. It’s hard to face head-on the fact that we fall short, but a significant part of moving towards health is embracing the good and bad in our lives. In those areas where we see ourselves as failing, having grace, and showing ourselves forgiveness are critical. So how do we do that? How do we face our weakness and show ourselves true grace as we move towards wholeness?  Brad Schmitt spent 12 years writing a popular celebrity column for a major publication and was an entertainment reporter on TV. During his TV reporter days, Brad was convicted twice in three years for drunken driving. He got fired and went to jail and rehab before recovering from substance abuse in 2010. Since then, he has had a complete life change, leading others on the recovery path and becoming a single father by choice, raising a foster son. In this episode, we discuss what self-forgiveness looks like in his life. For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

Why do we have to suffer if God can fix it?  If God is all-powerful, why does He allow me and my kids to experience all this hurt? Why doesn't He step in?  It’s a natural thing to be angry with God. To be clear, God is not dependent on us forgiving him, but we know that he wants an authentic relationship with us, so he embraces our hurt, disappointment, and questions… even about Himself. So what do we do with these questions? What do we do with anger towards God? Our guest is Rick Cua; he was a well-known Christian recording artist, songwriter, ordained minister, and author. Unfortunately, four short months before recording this episode, Rick tragically found his daughter dead. In this episode, we explore how to reconcile what God allows to tragically happen in our lives. For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit soloparent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Get Rick’s latest book here Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROID Solo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.

What we are talking about this week is a big issue for so many of us single parents. We want to move towards health and even recognize our part in the toxic relationship we’ve come out of. Yet, despite what we do, our ex (or others) continues to exhibit behaviors and traits that continue to offend and hurt. We recognize that forgiveness benefits us more than anybody else, but how are we supposed to forgive the actions or offenses that just continue to happen? Ongoing hurts bring up new pain and echo old wounds. In this episode, we discuss forgiving repeat offenders and offer four very helpful tips. For all the detailed show notes, tips and links visit SoloParent.org Receive a free SPS Welcome Toolkit with links to groups, info and a free book. Join our daily meditational devotional Download our free app - APPLE | ANDROIDSolo Parent Society is brought to you in part by Talk About. Use Promo Code SOLOPARENT to get 1 month free at TalkAboutDiscipleship.com.