Co-Parenting Matters This Week: Financial Tips for Single Parents

This Sunday night, 9/19 at 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT on Co-Parenting Matters, we’re talking about financial tips for single parents.  Be sure to catch us streaming live or via phone at  646.378.0580.

The current economy has left many of us tightening our belts, sharpening our budgeting skills and turning frugality into an art.  Whether you’re a single parent running things on your own or co-parents trying to make ends meet between two households, keeping the financial ship afloat can be challenging.

So, we’ve invited Kim Crouch and Lisa Maria Carroll, two mothers, bloggers and creative recessionistas to the show to share their tips for making your money work for you even in a down economy.

We hope you’ll join the conversation as well!  That’s Sunday night, 9/19 at 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT on BlogTalkRadio (call in 646.378.0580, chat, or tweet with us @coparentingshow!)

Courtesy of Kim and Lisa, we are giving away two copies of their e-book, The Financial Kama Sutra:  A Step-by-Step Guide to Position Yourself for Financial Success.  And, we’re also giving away a copy of Kim’s book, Mother To Son: Words of Wisdom, Inspiration and Hope for Today’s Young African American Men. There are 3 ways to enter the giveaway:

1) Leave a comment below sharing one of your favorite money-saving tips.

2) Tweet us your money-saving tip.

or…

3) Answer this trivia question: Name one of Kim and Lisa’s tips for creating a financial legacy for your children.Visit The Millionaire Journey to find out.  Those posting correct answers  in the comments section below will be entered into the drawing.

You can enter right up to Sunday night’s show.  We’ll announce the winner on air and on Twitter.  Enter as often as you’d like!

MamaSpeak: The Non-Custodial Other

One of the most challenging situations confronting single parents is that of visitation and interacting with the courts.  In The Myth of the Broken Home – Guidebook for Single Parents, one of the most delicate chapters for me to speak on is “The Non-Custodial Other” as it stirs up many emotions for me.

During this time, my daughter, Tamara, was about five years old, I was coming out of a domestic violence situation, and my daughter had become accustomed to seeing her father on a daily basis.  He was in her life from the time she was born, whereas my son knew little about his dad because we divorced when my son was about a year old.  Soon after my first divorce, his father, in the military at the time, was relocated to the east coast.   So basically I had very little control over whether or not he chose to see my son.

I vividly recall my daughter’s terrifying scream when departing from her dad at the storage place where we met to retrieve our items.  Upon entering, when she saw him, she was elated and played as if nothing happened.  But that’s expected of a five year old child, and it also displayed the love she had for her father, particularly since soon after the domestic violence occurred, she would sit in the back of the car, yelling in her little voice, “I hate my daddy.” I would tell her, “You do not hate your father, Ta’mara, you hate what he did”.  My babies hurt, and I saw them hurting, however, I refused to allow my children to become embittered by the situation that could affect them for the rest of their lives.  The forgiveness and the healing were not for him but for my babies.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I was not going to put her in harm’s way, but for two years he refused to see her.  He made promises and did not comply with the court order, and on many occasions I drove her to his house.  I despised him during this time as I watched him hurt my daughter over and over again, but inside I knew she needed him in her life.  As my son grew up, his father swore I was trying to keep him away, and I said, “I can’t wait until he gets of age so you can see that it’s not me.”  “If you were in his life like a father should be, there would be nothing I could do to keep him away from you.”  His accusations upset Jamal, because it was I who often encouraged Jamal to contact his father.   Although he is now a young adult, I continue to encourage him to send his father a card or to call.

As a society, we often talk about the importance of boys having a positive male role model to aid them towards developing into men, but that is equally, if not more important, for girls.  The dynamics that exist in a relationship between a male and female are innate, and it doesn’t matter if it’s mother-son or father-daughter; these relationships are pertinent for our children’s emotional development.

Today our girls are grappling with their identity, aimlessly searching for someone to show them affection and approve of them.  Again, if they don’t have a positive male role model during their stages of development, they will by means of their own understanding fill that void.   My son, who is 9 years older than his sister, was a big support and continues to be a very influential male in her life, especially when her father was not there.  As I sit and reflect back on these times, I begin to cry because I am so thankful, so grateful, for how far God has brought us and that he is allowing me to share with others how we all can make this work together.  Don’t get me wrong; it is tough as I still remain pretty protective over her, but today Tamara and her father have a wonderful relationship.  Just because he and I were at odds does not mean it will be the same with him and his daughter.

Visit www.nobrokenhome.com
to learn more about
The Myth of the Broken Home – Guidebook for Single Parents

WeParent Workshop (Atlanta): Reclaim Your Co-Parenting Power!

Reclaim Your Co-Parenting Power Workshop
10am to 4pm
Smyrna Community Center
Smyrna, GA

Download:  Reclaim Your Co-Parenting Power Workshop Flyer

If your relationship with your child’s other parent is causing conflict, stress, anger and plain old drama in your life, it’s probably impacting your children negatively, too.  But…It doesn’t have to!

Join us for “Reclaim Your Co-Parenting Power”, a full-day workshop focused on equipping you with tools to overcome the drama that steals your co-parenting power.  If you’re a single parent doing on your own or who wants to build a stronger parenting partnership for the sake of your kids, you’ll benefit from this workshop…even if your child’s other parent doesn’t participate.

Here’s what we’re going to do:

• Get you focused on your vision and goals for co-parenting and parenting
• Mastermind an action plan to help you realize your vision and stay focused on it day-to-day
• Upgrade your skills for dealing with the drama in your co-parenting relationship…and in your life
• Gift you with a support network to keep you moving forward after the workshop has ended

Seating is limited.

“Co-Parenting Teens” on the Next “Co-Parenting Matters” Show

Parenting adolescents is hard work in general, but what unique challenges come with parenting teens across two households?  We’ll explore this question on Sunday night’s episode of “Co-Parenting Matters” on BlogTalk Radio.

We’ll be joined by Annie Fox, an educator, award-winning author, and online adviser to teens and their parents. Annie helps teens get what they need for healthy social/emotional development.

We’ll also be joined by Samantha Gregory, mom of a 14-year-old daughter (and younger son), who foundedRichSingleMomma.com to empower her fellow single mommas to overcome personal obstacles and to become joyful and prosperous.

We hope you’ll join the conversation as well!  That’s Sunday night, 9/12 at 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT on BlogTalkRadio (call in 646.378.0580, chat, or tweet with us @coparentingshow!)

Courtesy of Annie Fox, we are giving away a copy of Book 1 in her Middle School Confidential Series, “Be Confident in Who You Are!” There are 2 ways to enter the giveaway:

1) Leave a comment below sharing one of your middle school memories…happy or horrific.

or…

2) Answer this trivia question: Name one of  Annie Fox’s tips for teaching your daughter relationship smarts.Visit anniefox.com to find out.  Those posting correct answers  in the comments section below will be entered into the drawing.

You can enter right up to Sunday night’s show.  We’ll announce the winner on air and in Twitter.  Enter as often as you’d like!

1st Annual Mother-Son Dance

If you’re a mother in the Baltimore area, the Annual Mother-Son Dance sponsored by the Urban Leadership Institute is a wonderful way to spend some quality time with your son and to teach him some wonderful lessons about etiquette among other things.  And, with Iyanla Vanzant as the special guest, this one promises to be full of as much inspiration as it is pure fun!

Visit the Urban Leadership Insitute’s site for more information and to purchase tickets.