Diane & Rick respond to an email from Janelle who struggles to please her co-parent without being walked on, and at the same time is afraid to set boundaries for fear her ex and the court will see her as a "bad" co-parent. Th...
Listener Janelle wonders if it is okay to snoop on her child’s phone and worries that if the other parent finds out, he will be upset. Diane & Rick wonder why this is even a question and discuss the importance of managing ph...
Diane & Rick discuss the problem of others, like family, friends, and untrained professionals, guilting high-conflict co-parents into trying harder to “just get along”. They explore ideas on how to talk to kids about difficul...
Time to sign up for our August workshop! How Do I Know My Child Will Be Okay? Pitfalls of living with an impossible co-parent August 17, 2023 at noon (EDT) https://lnkd.in/eTbSAMvT LET US KNOW WHAT YOU’D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT AT...
Diane & Rick address Cassie’s question about her step-son’s mother - who freezes him out if he acts like he had a good time with dad. They discuss the destructive nature of this type of emotional manipulation, as well as the ...
Time to sign up for our August workshop! How Do I Know My Child Will Be Okay? Pitfalls of living with an impossible co-parent August 17, 2023 at noon (EDT) https://lnkd.in/eTbSAMvT Want to talk about this episode with Diane a...
Diane & Rick address Richard’s question about wanting more time with his son than his co-parent’s nanny gets. Discussed are the dangers of stereotypes and bias, the perils of making blankets statements, coming up with creativ...
Kim writes to the show and expresses her frustration with her co-parent, who made an appointment with a counselor for their child without telling her. She then calls the counselor, who tells Kim some disturbing things about h...
In this episode, Diane and Rick explore listener Deanne’s question about a co-parent who uses his religion to control and emotionally abuse the children. The hosts discuss how difficult it can be when extreme religious, cultu...
Diane & Rick explore how some impossible co-parents interpret what is NOT in the parenting plan to exercise control and manipulation. They discuss examples they have had in their careers as well as read a Facebook post from l...
Diane & Rick explore the subject of what to do when a child calls from the other home, complaining about your co-parent and seems distressed. How do you determine if it is serious or just venting? Do you stop answering after ...
A Reddit listener poses a common question about how to spend their first hour with a guardian ad litem in order to make a good impression. Diane & Rick discuss the weight of that responsibility and how stressful it can be. Th...
Diane & Rick address listener James’ question about the extremes his children experience between him and their mom. He is the relaxed parent and she is very rigid. Does it harm children to have such different parents? Do they...
Heather wonders how to talk to her 11-year-old son about her co-parent’s marijuana use. He’s asking a lot of detailed questions, and she wants him to be able to trust his instincts. Are there times when telling the truth is b...
Listener Heather writes to share her experience of using our DRAGON method to solve her childcare issue, rather than trying to convince her co-parent to help out. Diane & Rick discuss the value and emotional freedom of findin...
Diane & Rick explore the characteristics of “good” people who fall prey to coercively controlling partners. They discuss the need to emotionally manage the reaction of their partners, to be a good co-parent, and to be fully u...
Diane &Rick answer Jennifer’s question about her co-parent letting the children watch rated “R” horror movies. They discuss the importance of not fighting against what is out of her control, but finding a way to show interest...
Todd emails a question about convincing the court to order a communication protocol or app. He wonders if he should fight for it or let it go. And by the way, he says his co-parent is a narcissist! Diane & Rick talk about the...
Diane & Rick welcome podcaster Karen McMahon on this episode to discuss Lauren’s email about co-parenting with her cheating ex. What is the expectation when you have been betrayed? How do you help your children who also may ...
Jenny shares her frustration with her narcissistic co-parent, who would rather she disappear than exercise her parenting time. But Jenny isn’t giving up, despite her physical limitations due to a brain injury. Diane & Rick sh...
Chris writes in and says things were going very well for him and his co-parent until he started dating seriously after several years post divorce. He did everything right, but now things have gone horribly wrong. What is happ...
Diane & Rick address John’s email about how to help his 16-year-old son when he and the son are stuck between mom and step-mom’s conflict. Discussed in this episode are ways to build a relationship with a teen who isolates to...
How do you know when it’s a good idea to seek the court’s help with co-parenting issues? Diane & Rick discuss four things to consider as they process listener Jess’s questions about her uncooperative co-parent. She was hoping...
Kelvin rants about how his narcissistic co-parent steals his credit as a parent and is constantly inserting herself into his life. He asks what he should do with all of his anger. Diane & Rick explore managing expectations, f...