Attorney, Lauren, emails about her client, who continually gives into his co-parent out of fear she will turn the kids against him. Lauren worries this is going to ruin his new marriage if he doesn’t stop catering to his ex. ...
Jake emails about how to get his co-parent to follow the weekly email protocol. He’s tired of answering her multiple texts each day and wants to have some peace. Diane & Rick discuss the importance of setting the boundary and...
Diane & Rick answer Dena’s email questions about her alcoholic co-parent who tells their 9-year-old that the divorce is all mom’s fault. She is exhausted that he won’t listen to their co-parent counselor or take responsibilit...
Colin writes that his co-parent’s purposeful resistance to anything he wants or suggests is driving him nuts. He wonders how he will stand to deal with her for the next 15 years! Diane & Rick discuss how to prioritize issues ...
Diane and Rick talk about listener reviews and discuss what they learned in their trip to Chicago, attending the AFCC (Association for Family and Conciliation Courts ) annual conference. They report on themes learned at the c...
Andy writes in about his alienated 16-year-old daughter and the hurt and pain of not having a relationship with her. He wonders if she is becoming a narcissist like her mom and if it would simply be better to give up on her. ...
Judge Warren Davis, a Georgia County Superior Court judge, visits the show to discuss how he views narcissistic co-parents and the tactics he uses to sanction them when their controlling behavior is out of control. Diane & Ri...
Diane & Rick answer a listener’s question about co-parenting with someone she can’t stand. Is it possible to be a “good” co-parent when you have such negative feelings, or are the feelings simply part of the natural grief pro...
Diane & Rick address Gillia’s email about a complicated dilemma. Her ex-husband remarried a behavioral specialist, who now thinks she should take mom’s place with the special-needs daughter AND take dad’s place as mom’s co-pa...
William emails to ask what to do when his 12-year-old consistently complains about having to go to mom’s house. Diane & Rick speculate on the many possibilities for the resistance, including the mother’s recent remarriage. Th...
Diane & Rick address Anna’s voicemail questions regarding what her young daughter reports dad is saying about mom. Anna has chosen to journal the comments, rather than address them with her co-parent. Is there value in journa...
Diane & Rick tackle a difficult listener dilemma of a father refusing to engage with his two-year-old son. They discuss how to help a child when a parent is absent and what could be going on with a parent who is not intereste...
Sean writes in with a concern that his co-parent may flee to another country with his children. Diane & Rick discuss the importance of focusing on the present and what Sean can control. They offer tips on how to reduce anxiet...
A second voicemail from Lydia illuminates a common issue -- a child who acts one way at home, but quite differently on a phone call while at the other parent's home. What is really going on here? Diane and Rick discuss the ph...
Lydia from North Carolina calls in to ask what to do for her 10-year-old, who seems to be in distress about events happening at her other parent’s home. Diane & Rick unpack when it is appropriate to speak to the other parent ...
Diane & Rick address an email from listener, Anthony, who feels powerless to improve his co-parent relationship. They discuss the importance of taking care of his own emotions so he doesn’t use his child as a sounding board. ...
Diane & Rick talk to expert and researcher Dr. Ben Garber about the necessity of family law professionals approaching family law litigation from a systems perspective, using a Sherlock Holmes method of elimination to understa...
Diane talks with Rick about her frustrations with how the court system often works against the high-conflict family in litigation. Too many cooks (professionals) in the kitchen (on the case) can prove to be a cure that is wor...
Tara emails a question about her co-parent, who she thinks spoils the children and is too permissive. What is the best parenting style in divorce? Will the kids reject you if they don’t like your style? Diane & Rick discuss ...
Travis writes in and asks about the nuances of co-parenting an infant when he and the other parent were never married. Is co-parenting after divorce different than if you were never married? What does the research say about s...
Diane & Rick unpack the risks and benefits of using social media in long-distance parenting, as well as what details should be included in a long-distance parenting plan. RESOURCES discussed on this episode: https://cnfc.org/...
Tom emails a question about how to respond when his co-parent goes silent on a time-sensitive decision and how to react to the children, who seem to be using the same passive-aggressive techniques with him. Diane & Rick disc...
In this episode, Diane & Rick answer a question from a parenting coordinator about how to define a medical expense and an extracurricular activity, especially as it pertains to financial reimbursement from one co-parent to th...
David asks if he should ask the court for more time with his kids because of alienating behaviors he suspects their mom is encouraging. Diane & Rick discuss the risks of making an already insecure parent more insecure by furt...