What can we help you find?

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HERETexas listener, Christa, answers a challenge Diane…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HERETexas listener, Christa, answers a challenge Diane made in a previous episode to give her any dilemma, and she would suggest a viable Plan B. Diane & Rick discuss whether or not what Christa presents are co-parenting dilemmas or general parenting issues, and they provide suggestions accordingly. They also discuss the DRAGON method of devising a Plan B.WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:This Week’s GOOD NEWS STORY:An arrest has been made in connection…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Todd asks if he should validate his child…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Todd asks if he should validate his child’s feelings, even when she says she doesn’t like him? How far does a parent go, and are feelings valid (representing truth) or simply experiences to be understood? Diane & Rick suggest it’s important to explore the root of feelings, including assumptions, misinformation, mood, and delusions, before judging them. They also discuss the responsibility of both the sharer AND the hearer in co…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREThis is a REPLAY of one of the show’s most popul…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREThis is a REPLAY of one of the show’s most popular episodes (S4.E17.).  We’ll be back with new episodes next week. Diane and Rick look at a conflict that on the surface might seem easy to resolve for the Non-Impossible parent. But upon further exploration, they unpack the long-lasting consequences of giving in to a child’s request to stay away from school events and activities. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:Diane’s new DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR FR…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Ben has been awarded custody of his daugh…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Ben has been awarded custody of his daughter after the court determined her mother was alienating her from dad. He asks how to best parent his daughter after the Trauma of alienation. Diane & Rick break it down and provide helpful, non-traditional advice to help him climb this daunting mountain. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:This week’s GOOD NEWS story Diane’s new DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR FRUSTRATED CO-PARENTS is releasing in January, 20…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Kristen asks advice about her 9-year-old …

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Kristen asks advice about her 9-year-old reengaging with his dad, who has been an extremely inconsistent parent. Diane & Rick discuss the harm to children when a parent consistently disappoints them by moving in and out of their lives. They discuss ways the listener can engage professionals to promote long-term success for the child. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:CLICK HERE to access the AFCC website. We have been told that due to privacy…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick respond to recent social media po…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick respond to recent social media posts about first right of refusal, a clause in some parenting plans that requires co-parents to give the other parent the option of being with the children when they are unable to fulfill their court-ordered parenting time. They explore the reasons behind this concept and question whether or not it is a good practice in high-conflict situations. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:This week’s GOOD NEWS sto…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Kyle asks what the best holiday split is …

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Kyle asks what the best holiday split is for teens. Diane & Rick ask a deeper question about what drives holiday negotiation in the beginning, when Grief is most prominent. They discuss the importance of seeing the holidays through the children’s eyes instead of the parents’.WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:This week’s GOOD NEWS story Diane’s new DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR FRUSTRATED CO-PARENTS is releasing in January, 2025. To get 15% off…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick address listener Laura’s dilemm…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick address listener Laura’s dilemma with her ex-wife, who decided to introduce their two children to the donor dad’s family without her permission. They discuss the complications that come with divorce and adopted children, as well as the legal messiness when a biological parent decides to re-enter the picture after the kids have been adopted. Also discussed is what constitutes a “major” decision in co-parenting. WHAT’S HA…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREIn this third of a three-part series of why critic…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREIn this third of a three-part series of why critical co-parenting skills work, Diane & Rick explore the importance of utilizing a Plan B when conflict arises. Somewhere between Plan A (a successful negotiation) and Plan C (going to court), there is a child-focused solution that doesn’t require the permission or agreement of the other parent. CLICK HERE to access the Silver Bullet Survivor podcast mentioned in this episode. WHAT’S HAPPENIN…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick address Emily’s email about her…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick address Emily’s email about her know-it-all co-parent. They discuss the goal of utilizing a structured way of communicating and why it succeeds in managing the toxic co-parent, while ant the same time, adhering to a parenting plan that requires co-parents to share relevant information about their children. CLICK HERE To see the link to this week’s good news story. To see a copy of the instructions and court order language for…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Trenton wants advice on how to respond to…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Trenton wants advice on how to respond to his 10-year-old daughter when she expresses frustration about going between two homes. In this first of a three-part series on why critical co-parenting skills work, Diane and Rick discuss the feelings/thoughts/values triangle and what is foundational about its use for all parents. CLICK HERE to get the pyramid graphic mentioned in this episode. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:This week’s GOOD NEWS s…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Georgina asks about the consequences of m…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Georgina asks about the consequences of moving her 12-year-old daughter away from her dad. They discuss the reasons why she is feeling the need to escape and how helping her daughter develop appropriate coping skills may neutralize the moving dilemma. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:This week’s GOOD NEWS story Holiday Harmony: Soberlink's Tools for Safe and Conflict-Free Co-Parenting, happening on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 9:30 AM PSTIf you�…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREAt the prompting of a loyal listener, who is also …

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREAt the prompting of a loyal listener, who is also a pediatrician, Diane & Rick address issues that come up in high-conflict co-parenting that medical professionals often do not understand.  They provide suggestions to professionals to assist those with impossible co-parents in navigating their children’s healthcare with a little less Stress.WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:Attend the weekly Hump Day Wednesdays for only $10/month (exclusively for P…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick discuss what parenting coordinati…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick discuss what parenting coordination is, how it differs from co-parent counseling, who qualifies to be a PC, and what should be expected in the process. Mentioned in this episode are guidelines that most trained professionals follow. To view, go to AFCC or APA for more info. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:Attend the weekly Hump Day Wednesdays for only $10/month (exclusively for Patreon VIPs). Purchase a one-year Patreon VIP subscription…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Heather wonders how she should respond to…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREListener Heather wonders how she should respond to her 14-year-old son who, out of the blue, has decided not to return from the other parent’s house. Should she fight for him or let him have his way? Diane and Rick talk about the dilemma some teens face between craving love and approval from one parent that may result in hurting their other parent. WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:Attend the weekly Hump Day Wednesdays for only $10/month (exclusively f…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDuane & Rick explore the not often talked abou…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDuane & Rick explore the not often talked about subject of the pain of the alienated step-parent. Listener Tanner writes in to ask how to deal with the guilt of not being able to fight for a step-daughter who has only known him as a father figure in her life. Without legal rights, what can he do to let her know he has not abandoned her?WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:Attend the weekly Hump Day Wednesdays for only $10/month (exclusively for Patreon V…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick address listener Mindy’s dilemm…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick address listener Mindy’s dilemma around the struggle between her and her co-parent around medical decision-making. They discuss conflicts around common childhood issues such as ADHD, sensory disorders, Anxiety, autism, dental appointments, etc. and whether or not pursuing court action as a remedy is better for the child than other alternatives. Should she hold on or let it go?WHAT’S HAPPENING LINKS:Attend the weekly Hump Day …

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick discuss mediation and some of the…

Have a quick questio…

Have a quick question to be explored on the show? Send us a text message! Include your email address if you would like a personal response. Click HEREDiane & Rick discuss mediation and some of the issues that can interfere with the process if co-parents are not well-informed. They explore the pitfalls of using the shuttle only technique, the coerciveness of marathon sessions, and what happens when mediators fail to trust the process. Ethical principals discussed on this episode can be viewed at:https://www.jamsadr.com/mediators-ethicshttps://acrnet.org/page/EthicalPrinciplesWHAT’S HAPPE…