“Co-Parenting Matters” Anniversary Giveaway: Step-Dating & Blended Family Package!

Yvonne Kelly, MSW, RSW wears many hats.  Among them: she’s a stepmom; founder and co-director of The Step and Blended Family Institute; founder of the Stepdating* Teleconference series; a Certified Stepfamily Coach and Counselor with The Stepfamily Foundation; a Featured Coach with Blended-Families.com; and a Licensed Relationship Coach with the Relationship Coaching Institute.  She’s also a Friend of “Co-Parenting Matters”, and to celebrate the show’s 1st anniversary, she’s generously donated a package ideal for a step-dating couple or for those who have already begun the work of blending a family.  Here’s what Yvonne is offering to a lucky winner:

Free One-Hour Step Dating or Blended Family Phone Coaching Session

Free Recordings of the Step Dating Teleconference Series (3 in total)
Stepdating I – Major Myths and Critical Questions
Stepdating II – How to Nurture Your Couple Relationship
Stepdating III – Couples with Adult Children

Free Resources to Accompany the Step Dating Series, including Full Reports

Enter to win this wonderful gift from Yvonne for yourself or for a co-parent, single parent, or blended family member in your life by leaving a comment below telling us your biggest challenge and biggest joy related to step-dating or blending families.

We’ll announce the winner, selected randomly from all the entries, on our Co-Parenting Matters anniversary show this Sunday, October 24^th. The show airs at 9pm EST, and you can listen via phone at (646)378-0580 or from your computer atwww.blogtalkradio.com/coparentingmatters.

On Sunday’s show, you’ll hear from many Friends of Co-Parenting Matters, and from special guests whom we’ve deemed Co-Parenting Heroes, including Magda & Doug, co-parents and co-founders of When the Flames Go Up; and Molly, founder of Postcards from a Peaceful Divorce. We look forward to talking with them about the joys and challenges of co-parenting, and we hope you’ll join the conversation as well!

And, if you want to find out more about the other great gifts we’re giving away, be sure to keep checking the ever-expanding list here!

*What’s step-dating? It’s dating with kids in the mix.

“Co-Parenting Matters” Anniversary Book Giveaway: “The Look of Love” by Jill Egizii

This Sunday on Co-Parenting Matters, we’re giving away a copy of Jill Egizii‘s novel, The Look of Love, the story of a mother alienated from her children after a bitter divorce and the devastating effects it can have on the children who are impacted. Whether you are dealing with this issue personally or not, this is a story that will move you.

Jill is a potent advocate for parental alienation awareness. Through her activism and her novel, The Look of Love, Jill works to raise awareness of parental alienation and the devastating impact it can have on children and parents. Jill serves as an Alderman in the city of Leland Grove and as a member of the Illinois Family Law Study Committee established to revamp state divorce law. She is also a board member of Children Need Both Parents, a not-for-profit organization emphasizing shared parenting, and the Parental Alienation Awareness Organization (PAAO) which is dedicated to educating people about parental alienation.  To learn more about Jill, the book and parental alienation, you can check out the  “Understanding Parental Alienation” episode on which Jill was our guest.

And, to win a copy of The Look of Love, just leave a comment telling us the title of one of your favorite stories about family.

We’ll announce the winner, selected randomly from all the entries, on our Co-Parenting Matters anniversary show this Sunday, October 24th. The show airs at 9pm EST, and you can listen via phone at (646)378-0580 or from your computer at www.blogtalkradio.com/coparentingmatters.

On Sunday’s show, you’ll hear from many Friends of Co-Parenting Matters, and from special guests whom we’ve deemed Co-Parenting Heroes, including Magda & Doug, co-parents and co-founders of When the Flames Go Up; and Molly, founder of Postcards from a Peaceful Divorce. We look forward to talking with them about the joys and challenges of co-parenting, and we hope you’ll join the conversation as well!

And, if you want to find out more about the other great gifts we’re giving away, be sure to keep checking the ever-expanding list here.

Co-Parenting Matters Anniversary Book Giveaway: “Mother to Son” by Kim Crouch

Kimberley “Kim” Crouch, attorney/publisher/author/radio show host/money motivation manager and mother, has been a supporter of Co-Parenting Matters from the beginning. You may remember Kim from just a few of weeks ago on our ”Financial Tips for Single Parents” show when she joined us with her “The Millionaire Journey” blog co-founder, Lisa Maria Carroll.

We are thrilled to be giving away a copy of her book, Mother To Son: Words of Wisdom, Inspiration and Hope for Today’s Young African-American Men, a wonderful collection of letters penned for her sons and for ours.

Enter to win a copy of Mother to Son by leaving a comment below telling us one important thing every mother should teach her son.

We’ll announce the winner on our Co-Parenting Matters anniversary show this Sunday, October 24^th.  The show airs at 9pm EST, and you can listen via phone at (646)378-0580 or from your computer at www.blogtalkradio.com/coparentingmatters.

Co-Parenting Matters This Week: Celebrate Our Anniversary with Us!

We’re celebrating the first anniversary of Co-Parenting Matters this Sunday, October 24, 2010 with an extended 2-hour show starting at 9pm EST!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since Deesha, Mike and I first aired our debut episode of Co-Parenting Matters discussing co-parenting myths.  Since then, we have covered so many topics—from co-parenting basics to sex and the single parent, step-dating and what can happen when moms who actually like each other lead the blending of their families.  It’s been a great ride so far, and we are excited to be celebrating the beginning of another year filled with even more learning and support for parents who know that effective co-parenting really does make a difference for our children.

We’re going to be featuring three families—co-parenting heroes who have experienced the challenges of partnering in parenting across two households and who are making it work for the sake of their kids.  We’ll get to hear their stories, learn their secrets for successful co-parenting and celebrate the commitment they’ve made to collaborative parenting.

We’ll also hear from some of our former guests and other friends who wanted to celebrate with us with generous offerings of both well wishes and gifts for our listeners.  That’s right, we’ve got great gifts to give away! And, we’ll be posting them all here this week giving you all kinds of chances to win.  Just click the links to find out more and to enter to win.  So, be sure to enter and then tune in to find out if you’ve won something on this growing list of giveaways (Check back regularly to see what’s new!):

• Three (3) 1-hour coaching sessions with RJ Jaramillo, SingleDad.com founder
• Mother to Son:  Words of Wisdom, Inspiration and Hope for Today’s Young African-American  Men by Kimberley Crouch
• Step-Dating & Blended Family Package from Yvonne Kelly and the Step and Blended Families Institute
• The Look of Love by Jill Egizii

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

That’s this Sunday, October 24^th at 9pm EST.  Listen from your phone at (646)358-0510 or from your computer at www.blogtalkradio.com/coparentingmatters.

Co-Parenting Matters Anniversary Giveaway: SingleDad Coaching Sessions

Our good friend, RJ Jaramillo, founder of SingleDad.com and master of so many things related to being a happy and successful single parent, is giving away an awesome anniversary gift for one of our single dad listeners.  Check out the wonderful video card he sent us to find out more about this Co-Parenting Matters anniversary gift.

So, one lucky listener is going to win THREE (3) 1-hour SingleDad live video coaching sessions with RJ Jaramillo.  You’ll get to choose from the “Cook Like a Dad Series” or the “Single Parent Coaching Classes.”  Whether it’s whipping up some kid-friendly meals or starting over as a single dad, RJ has a wealth of wisdom, experience and coaching expertise to help you be successful.

So enter to win this generous gift from RJ for yourself or for a great dad in your life by leaving a comment below telling us a piece of great advice you’ve gotten from a special Dad in your life.

We’ll announce the winner, selected randomly from all the entries, on our Co-Parenting Matters anniversary show this Sunday, October 24^th.  The show airs at 9pm EST, and you can listen via phone at (646)378-0580 or from your computer at www.blogtalkradio.com/coparentingmatters.

Co-Parenting Matters This Week: Dads and Divorce–An Interview with Author Joel Schwartzberg

On this Sunday night’s “Co-Parenting Matters” show, This week we’ll be talking to author Joel Schwartzberg about his book, The 40-Year-Old Version: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad.  Joel is an award winning essayist, screenwriter and speaker among other notable titles. And, he’s also a divorced dad of three who, through his book and other forums, shares the insights he’s gained about parenting, co-parenting, fatherhood and life…all served up with a healthy does of humor. We’ll talk to Joel about all of that and how divorce resulted in his finding himself as a father.

And, yes, we’ll be giving away a copy of  The 40-Year-Old Version to some lucky Co-Parenting Matters listeners.  Entering to win is easy.  Just leave a comment here or tweet us (@coparentingshow) shouting out to a great dad in your life. You can enter until we announce the winners on the show this Su

And we hope you’ll join the conversation too. Call in to 646.378.0580, listen to the live stream and chat with us online, or tweet us @coparentingshow! That’s this Sunday, Oct. 10 @ 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT!

MamaSpeak: Co-Parenting and Grief–On Losing Love and Finding Yourself

I recently heard a phenomenal sermon relating to grieving. The sermon focused on getting through and past the 3 stages of grieving. They are:

• Numbness
• Disorganization
• Reorganization

The first step, numbness is a state of severe shock and denial of the death. Life and everything in it seems unreal, like you are living a dream. A really bad dream. You may distance yourself from people and life and be stuck in your emotions and thoughts.

Disorganization is next and is surrounded by emotional chaos. You may feel irate, annoyed, relieved, panicked, or devastated. If the death was sudden and tragic, you may feel like you need to seek revenge. Depression kicks in as you realize your loved one is gone, as well as fear, and physical agony.

The last stage is that of reorganization. In this stage you reorganize your life and learn to live with the loss of your loved one. You learn to readjust and become more emotionally stable.

After you’ve gone through these stages, a new you emerges. So they say.

After hearing this powerful sermon I realized that I am grieving the end of my relationship with my daughter’s father and our new co-parenting situation.

I’m currently in the disorganization stage and am an emotional wreck. Even though we ended our relationship two years ago, I am still in a state of severe disorganization. I am an uncontrollable emotional being living in a state of constant chaos and confusion. I am devastated we are not together; I’m angry, fearful, anxious, panicked, depressed, lonely, and unwilling to move past my own grief to reorganize my life. I don’t know how, I can’t imagine my life being reorganized, can’t imagine it someday being ok that we are now co-parents and not soul mates. I’m so stuck on him and what was, than I cannot accept and appreciate what is and what is to come. I know that in order to be emotionally free I need to find a way to push through this disorganization phase, regardless of how much it hurts. Regardless of how many tears I shed. Regardless of how long it takes. Of course I don’t want to be living in this stage for the rest of my life, but I’ve come to realize and respect its time in my life. I am grieving, and I need to allow myself space and time to grieve in my own way. Though I do realize that the sooner this phase ends, the sooner I can reorganize my life.

CoParenting101

Co-Parenting and the Power of C.A.R.E on the next “Co-Parenting Matters”

On this Sunday night’s “Co-Parenting Matters” show, our guest will be Nadine Owens-Burton, founder of Owens Burton Consulting and creator of The Power of C.A.R.E., a framework for personal and professional development in which C.A.R.E. is an acronym representing: the Choices you make, the Attitude you project, the Relationships you cultivate and the Effort you exert—which of course are all vital to healthy interactions between co-parents, as well as between parents and their children. We look forward to talking to Nadine about The Power of C.A.R.E. and how co-parents can tap into it for themselves and for their families.

And we hope you’ll join the conversation too. Call in to 646.378.0580 – listen in or join us in the chat room – or Tweet us @coparentingshow! That’s this Sunday, Oct. 3 @ 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT!