How to Not Take Everything Personally
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing How to Not Take Everything Personally. As single parents, life can feel like one long invitation to take things personally. A sideways comment from a coworker, a critical word from your ex, or even silence from a friend can spiral into self-doubt. Without a partner to help ground us, it’s easy to internalize everything and slip into a victim mindset. This matters because if we don’t learn how to stop carrying other people’s words and actions as proof of our inadequacy, we stay stuck, weighed down by shame and resentment. Today, we cover three main...
info_outline
One Thing That Gets in the Way of Resilience
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing the One Thing That Gets in the Way of Resilience As single parents, survival mode can feel like our default setting. The constant responsibility, the weight of trauma, and the sheer demand of daily life often leave us operating in a state of heightened stress. But survival mode doesn’t just impact us, it impacts our kids, our decisions, and even our ability to feel joy. Today, we cover three main points: What survival mode really is and how it affects our bodies How to recognize the signs that you’re in survival mode Steps to move beyond survival...
info_outline
What Real Courage Looks Like
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing what Real Courage Looks Like When you’ve been through divorce, betrayal, or repeated heartbreak, the thought of starting over again can feel impossible. It takes more than sheer willpower to stand back up, it takes tenacity, deep-rooted hope, and the kind of community that can carry you when you’re too weary to carry yourself. Toni Collier, founder of Broken Crayons Still Color and author of Don’t Try This Alone, joins us to share her journey through two divorces, raising two children as a single mom, and finding the courage to step into deep,...
info_outline
Courage To Be Angry
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing how to have the Courage to be Angry Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions, especially for single parents trying to keep everything together. Many of us were taught to fear it, repress it, or feel shame when it shows up. But what if anger isn’t destructive at all? What if it’s actually the part of us that wants to live, connect, and keep showing up for the things that matter? To help us navigate this emotional terrain, we’re joined by Dr. Chip Dodd, author, counselor, and founder of The Voice of the Heart Center. With decades of experience...
info_outline
Finding Courage to Take Risks as a Solo Parent
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing how to Find Courage to Take Risks as a Solo Parent As solo parents, we’re faced with choices every day that feel weightier than they used to because we’re often the only one carrying the consequences. Whether it’s stepping into a new relationship, starting a new job, or just sitting still long enough to feel discomfort, risk doesn’t come easy anymore. This episode explores how to take intentional, healthy risks when the stakes feel high, and why doing so matters more than we think. Today, we cover three main points: The types of risk solo parents...
info_outline
Courage to Accept a Different Reality
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing how to have the Courage to Accept a Different Reality For solo parents, change is more than a season, it’s a total life shift. And while we often focus on the big transitions, it’s the small, everyday reminders that hit hardest: taking out the trash, folding the laundry alone, navigating milestones without a partner. The grief of a life that no longer exists can sneak up in the mundane and the meaningful. That’s why today’s episode is focused on one of the most essential and difficult truths we face as solo parents, accepting that life is different...
info_outline
How to Thrive in High-Pressure Situations
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing How to Thrive in High-Pressure Situations When emotions are high, whether with a co-parent, a child mid-meltdown, or a demanding coworker, how we communicate can either escalate the tension or bring clarity and peace. For solo parents, those pressure points are daily. To help us unpack how to stay grounded and respond with wisdom, we’re joined by Dr. Anthony Scroggins. He’s not only a performance psychologist who’s worked with the US Army and NASA astronauts, but also a dad of four young kids. That mix of clinical expertise and real-life parenting...
info_outline
Navigating a World Where People Judge You
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing how to Navigate a World Where People Judge You. We live in a world that’s quick to judge and even quicker to make single parents feel like they don’t measure up. But not all judgment is external. Often, the harshest voices come from inside. If you’ve ever walked into a room and immediately assumed you were unwelcome, or replayed a small moment for weeks afterward, you’re not alone. This week’s episode dives into the judgment we receive, imagine, and place on ourselves, and why it matters to recognize the difference. Today, we cover three main...
info_outline
The One Relationship That Could Be Key to Your Healing
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing The One Relationship That Could Be Key to Your Healing. Too many of us were taught that trusting ourselves was dangerous. We were told our emotions couldn’t be trusted, our hearts were deceitful, and our instincts were too “fleshly” to follow. Especially for solo parents who have lived through trauma or spiritual manipulation, this message gets internalized early and reinforced often. We stop listening to our gut and outsource decisions to experts, church leaders, or even social media. But ignoring your inner voice only deepens confusion and...
info_outline
Essential Relationships That Single Parents Need
Solo Parent
This week we’re discussing what Essential Relationships That Single Parents Need. We all know that connection is critical, but for single parents, the path to finding safe, trustworthy, and life-giving relationships can feel anything but simple. Time is limited. Trust may feel broken. And the need for support runs deep. That’s why this week’s episode is focused on practical, real-life ways to identify, nurture, and invest in the kinds of relationships that sustain us. Whether you’re grieving the absence of a partner, rebuilding your community, or simply trying to figure out how...
info_outlineThis week we are discussing ‘How Much Change Can My Kids Take?’ with Kyle Cruze.
Our kids have experienced so much change already, and we know stability is important. How much change can they endure before there are lasting consequences?
Kyle is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Tennessee.
Since graduate school, Kyle has dedicated almost all his professional time to
working with adolescent/teenage boys and their families. Recognizing the huge
need that boys have for clarity and guidance, Kyle has sat with hundreds of kids
and their parents with the goal of helping them navigate through the difficult and
confusing aspects of this culture and life.
His early lessons in life and relationships came through the paradigm of athletics.
Kyle was blessed with the opportunity to play basketball all four years he was in
college. It was through those experiences on and off the court that much of his
curiosity and interest in people and their stories began.
Prior to moving into full-time private practice, Kyle worked at a residential
treatment center with high school boys and their families who were struggling with
substance abuse and addiction. During these years, Kyle also frequently spoke at
national conferences, local schools, and parent groups.
Kyle was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. It was there that he met his wife Kristen
who is a Franklin, TN native. Together they have two boys and a girl.
LINK TO SHOW NOTES
For all the detailed show notes, tips and links click - https://soloparent.org/show-notes-blog
ASK US ANYTHING! We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Go to SoloParent.org/TalkToUs and ask us anything…it can be related to a topic we cover on the podcast, something you are facing or just something you are curious about. We want you to be part of our podcast!