How to Tell Your Kids You're Separating with Bella Duncan, A Kid With Two Homes
Release Date: 12/16/2024
Parenting | Are Your Kids Walking on Eggshells? Co-Parenting Without Emotional Damage
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When parents separate, the focus is often on logistics parenting schedules, property settlements, court orders. But underneath all of that is something quieter. The emotional world of our children. In this episode, I sit down with psychologist Jamie Maserow, author of The Therapist in Therapy, to explore the silent emotional work children often carry during divorce and separation. We discuss how children can slip into people-pleasing patterns, walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting Mum or Dad. We unpack jealousy — whether it’s a child feeling replaced by a new partner, or a parent...
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Self Care & Support | Self-Gaslighting After Separation: When You Stop Trusting Your Own Reality
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If you’re separated (or separating) and you keep replaying the past, rewriting conversations, and wondering “Maybe I’m the one who’s wrong…” this episode is for you. One of the most common (and most unsettling) things I see after a breakup isn’t confusion about money, logistics, or parenting schedules. It’s people quietly doubting their own reality. There’s a name for it: self-gaslighting and it can keep you stuck long after the relationship ends. In this short solo episode, I explain what self-gaslighting is, why separation turns up the volume, and how to rebuild trust in...
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Jonathan Kline-Spink, Director at Market Street Finance, unpacks what banks are really looking at when someone is separating and hoping to keep the family home. We talk about the difference between borrowing capacity and affordability, why keeping the family home after separation is often more complex than people expect, and how lenders reassess risk when a joint mortgage becomes a single loan. Jonathan explains how banks consider income, expenses, child support, and property values; why finance approvals fall through, and the importance of having honest, early conversations before...
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Buying out an ex from the family home after separation can feel overwhelming — financially, legally, and emotionally. In this episode, I’m joined by Christina Salvo, CEO and Founder of Simple Separation, to break down how the process actually works and what needs to happen first. We talk through the real sequence involved in buying out an ex — starting with negotiation and mediation, moving into formal agreements, and then looking at finance and title transfer. Christina explains why affordability and borrowing capacity need to be assessed early, what lenders look at when a joint...
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Self Care & Support | The Habits That Heal: Dr Gina Cleo on Identity, Separation and Starting Again
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Dr Gina Cleo joins me for a powerful conversation about the tiny habits that help you steady yourself after separation especially when identity, routine and confidence feel completely shaken. Gina shares openly about her three divorces and the very human process of rebuilding from the inside out. We explore how separation disrupts the “micro-moments” of your day, why habits shape identity, and the difference between having a habit problem versus simply having no capacity left. We also talk about: Small actions that rebuild confidence and clarity Breaking patterns like people-pleasing...
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Spotlight | When Kids Carry Adult Pain: A Conversation with Tommy Herschell
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Children feel the impact of separation long before they can explain it and many carry those early wounds into adulthood. In this episode, I’m joined by Tommy Herschell, founder of Find Ya Feet, to explore what can happen for kids during a family breakdown and how those early experiences can shape boys and men for decades. Tommy shares his own story, his parents’ separation when he was 10 years old, the years of self-blame, and the emotional crash in his mid-30s that forced him to face what he’d been carrying. We talk about how unspoken pain shows up in kids’ behaviour, why emotional...
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If your mind feels loud but your heart has gone quiet, this episode is for you. If you’re navigating divorce or separation and feel overwhelmed by everyone’s opinions, this episode will help you tune back into your voice. In this instalment of The Anatomy of Divorce, I explore The Ears — the part of the process where discernment, boundaries, and self-trust matter most. During separation, it can feel like you’re drowning in advice from friends, family, lawyers, social media, and your own inner critic. But not every voice deserves airtime. I share how this played out during my own...
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Anatomy of Divorce | Let Go, Let Them, and Find Real Peace After Separation
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This episode is part of The Anatomy of Divorce segment, I unpack one of the most overlooked skills in separation - perspective. When life turns upside down after divorce, your brain goes into survival mode. You loop old arguments, replay stories, and grip tightly to being understood. But sometimes the shift you need most isn’t fixing them - it’s seeing them differently. I share how understanding your biology, practising perspective-taking, and embracing Let Them Theory can help you calm your nervous system, make clearer decisions, and protect your peace. You’ll also learn my...
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Finances | Divorce in the Workplace: The $101 Billion Blind Spot with Andrew Tomich
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Separation and divorce cost the Australian economy $101 billion every year but behind that figure are real people quietly trying to hold their lives, families, and jobs together. In this episode, I’m joined by Andrew Tomich, Director at , to explore how divorce impacts the workplace from leadership and productivity to culture and wellbeing. Andrew shares what happened when a senior colleague went through a complex separation and how empathy, flexibility, and communication became the foundation for getting through it together. We talk about the ripple effect personal crises have inside...
info_outlineTalking to your kids about divorce can feel overwhelming. It may be one of the hardest conversations that you will have. How do you deliver life-changing news without breaking their hearts? How do you reassure them that they are loved, secure, and not responsible for what’s happening?
In this episode, I’m joined by Bella Duncan, founder of A Kid With Two Homes. Bella brings an incredibly important perspective, one that she’s lived through with her her parents divorce. Together, we explore how to approach this delicate conversation with love, honesty, and compassion.
Bella shares not just the emotional side of this experience, but also practical tips for parents who may be struggling to find the right words or the right time. If you’ve ever worried about how to protect your children while navigating divorce, this episode is a must-listen.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
1. Why the conversation matters so much.
2. Timing and age-appropriate communication.
3. Delivering the news as a team.
4. What kids really want to know.
5. Why you must say, “This is not your fault”.
6. Ongoing conversations, this is not a not one-and-done conversation.
7. Breaking the stigma of “broken families.
8. Practical tips for helping kids adjust.
Resources & Next Steps:
Bella and I have collaborated and created a program for you, How to Tell Your Kids You're Separating. You can join at the introductory price HERE.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:
Visit Divorce and Separation Hub to explore expert resources, courses, and programs tailored to your needs. Share your questions or comments — you’re not alone in this.
Host: Nikki Parkinson, TEDx Speaker, Divorce Doula, Coach and Founder of The Divorce and Separation Hub.
Host: Nikki Parkinson
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Watch Nikki's TEDx Talk HERE.
Guest: Bella Duncan, A Kid With Two Homes
Connect with Bella here
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Executive Producer and Editor: Tiffany Richmond. You can contact Tiffany via her website and on Instagram @tiff__richmond.