Episode 5-Support for Solo Parents with guest Robert Beeson

Are you a single parent or do you know a single parent? Did you know that 34% of households in America are single parent households? On this week's episode of Embracing Your Season, host Paige Clingenpeel talks with special guest, Robert Beeson as he shares about the Solo Parent Society, a resource and support system for solo parents. He discusses how being a single parent to his three daughters for many years affected his decision to start this support system to encourage, equip and have a safe community for other solo parents to be a part of. 

Paige’s Takeaways:

1. We all need to be seen, known and supported in community.  Places to find support and community can be through the solo parent app, churches, neighbors or close friends. We are designed by God to be known, seen and loved.
2. Recognize that your child needs you to be healthy.  We model for our kids how we take care of ourselves by self-care and creating safe boundaries in relationships with others. Our kids are watching how we interact in relationships and that trickles down to them and how they think they should be treated.  There are lots of resources available online about how to take care of yourself.
3. Don’t try to be both parents. We need to have or invite other trusted people into our kids' lives of opposite gender because we were not created to do it all by ourselves.  Forms of trusted adults can be guidance counselors, teachers, youth pastors, even therapists. We need to surround our kids intentionally so they can be spoken over by other people that come alongside the solo parent.
4. If you are a single parent and your heart is desiring companionship again, make sure you are not pursuing a dating relationship to find completion.  Define what you are looking for in dating someone. Whether you are married or single, a spouse will not complete you or make you whole because we are created beings in the image of God.  That is who you are! Relationships are work and not complete freedom. 
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Paige Clingenpeel

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HomeWord

Robert Beeson - Soloparent.org

Book - Going Solo

Solo Parent App