Beanstalk Single Mums

How so save $$$ on your single parent health insurance

Health insurance can easily (and understandably) be forgotten about during a separation. But it’s so important that you know the implications of your health insurance policy and the options available to you as a single parent.

In this podcast I chat with Bessie Hassan, Insurance and Money Expert at finder.com.au, to get all the answers you need to make an informed decision and, most importantly, to save money.

Just some of the things we discuss are why we need health insurance and when to get it; how Lifetime Cover Loading works; the implications of sticking to a family policy with your ex after separation (don’t do it!); different types of polices available for single parents; how to get different levels of cover for different family members; Bessie’s personal top tips to save money on your health insurance; a super helpful tip about how comparison websites work and how to use them to you advantage.

The difference between divorce and financial separation

BIG mistake to think your separation is part of your divorce, because they are oh so very different.

To unravel the mystery, I chat to Belinda Etheridge from Divide – Simple Financial Separation.

This podcast is jam-packed with information, including understanding exactly what a divorce is; when and how to apply for a divorce; where to find free, excellent support with your divorce proceedings; understanding what a financial settlement is and when you can apply for one; where consent orders fit in and whether we really need them; and emotional and financial advice for a stress-free resolution with the right results for all involved.

How to improve communication with your ex

Shhhhhh .. there’s no need to shout and argue with your baby-daddy .. well most the time anyway.

When it comes to life’s conundrums, I swear this is one of the biggest doozie’s of them all. You breakup with a guy because the relationship isn’t working, yet you have to communicate with him about the most important issue in your world .. your children.

No wonder it’s hard.

Which is why I chat to Shelby Timmins from Divorce Done Differently to get as many tips as possible to get through and MAKE IT WORK.

Listen to us chat about the importance of a healthy line of communication with the father of your children; the biggest problems between ex-couples communicating and how to avoid them; the advantages of effective communication during the separation process and in the future; the effect of body language and other non-verbal communication; and resources (including apps) that can help you communicate effectively with your ex.

What to expect in the first year after your separation

Be prepared! The first year after a separation has got to be one of the most challenging in the life of a single mother. It is a time of huge change and highly-charged emotions. And it is almost impossible to prepare for.

However, there are some wonderful resources out there to help you along the way and I was lucky enough to have this chat with Sarah Whitechurch from My Divorce Coach.

To help you through this turbulent time we discuss clinical hypnosis and how it assists the divorce process (I had no idea!); where to find support and tools for the first year; where the court process fits in (and where it doesn’t); how to manage well-meaning friends and family; whether dating again is a good idea and how to know if you’re ready; Sarah’s key words of wisdom to take with you on the first year of your separation.

How to start dating again after a breakup

BEWARE the horrible breakup. Most woman have experienced one at some point. They can be soul destroying.

But this podcast is all about getting over it, getting back out there, and starting to date again.

And there is no better person to guide us through these tentative first steps than Leah Sheppard from Honour Your Breakup.

In this podcast Leah and I chat about the benefits of getting out there and dating again; how to know the right time to date again; the biggest mistakes you might make, and how to avoid them; how to prepare yourself if things go wrong; the ‘reptile brain’ what it is and how it guides us; and Leah’s beautiful words of encouragement to get us back into the dating arena.

Invaluable insights for raising your teenager

OMG it happens overnight. One minute you have a cute little girl and next thing you know you are mother to a teenager … and life as we know it changes completely.

It can be so hard to know what’s going on in our teenagers heads. So difficult to know what to say and how to help them.

That’s why I chat with Maya Kiusalaas, author of Free The Girl and blogger at My Monday Love. She talks to us in this podcast as a kind of mediator between us and our teenagers.

You can listen to us discuss the mixed emotions of the teenage years; the (sometimes inexplicable) lack of self-worth that teenagers have; the biggest issues that teenagers face today and how you can help them; what you can do to connect with your teenagers on ‘their’ level; Leah’s take-aways tips that you can put into action straight-away to improve your relationship with your teenager.

Why knowledge is power in a financial separation

It’s not what you know, but who you know. And in this case I have the perfect person to help us gain heaps of knowledge (and power) during a financial separation.

Enter: The only lady I can talk to about this stuff without my eyes glazing over … Belinda from Divide.

In this information-packed podcast we discuss why it’s so important to treat your financial separation as a learning process; the biggest knowledge gaps for single mums; what we can learn from a financial separation and how it will help now and in the future; why there is an element of fear around ‘starting over’ financially and how we can overcome it; the advantages of working through your financial separation WITH your ex-partner; and actionable tips to ensure a successful and peaceful financial separation.

How to minimise the effect of divorce on your kids

No.1 most important people EVER: Our kids. So, when it comes to getting divorced our top priority is to make sure they are not negatively impacted.

I chat to the founders of Family Law Life, Danielle Zetzer and Jacque Philip, to get advice from not only their professional stand-point, but from their personal experiences too.

In this information-packed podcast we discuss the most common mistakes during separation that can negatively impact children; how these mistakes can be avoided; how much children need to know during a divorce; what children can actually learn from a divorce; and what resources are available to kids to help them deal with divorce.

Fast, healthy holiday food that kids will love

Yummy yummy in my tummy to all the delicious Christmas food that hits the supermarket shelves at this time of year.

But it’s not all as wonderful as it may seem.

As mums, we know only too well how the food we feed our children affects their moods, and during the holidays when routines are disrupted, it is more important than ever to get it right.

For this reason, I had a wonderfully informative chat with certified nutrition and health coach, Krissy Ropiha, from Her Nourished.

Tune-in to listen to us talk about the importance of feeding our kids healthy, nutritious food; really cool make-ahead snack ideas that your kids will actually eat; the pros and cons of three-meals-a-day vs. grazing; dehydration and how to avoid it; and Krissy’s favourite go-to nutritious, delicious, super-fast recipes.

Help your kids want less and be more grateful this Christmas

Present overload. It’s the same every Christmas. To the point where it’s too much for our kids to take in. The end result is that our children expect a lot, and don’t always understand how lucky they are.

For this reason, I chat with Jane McLeod from EcoToy Hire. She is all about wooden, non-toxic toys, and has some brilliant tips to help our kids want less and be more grateful this Christmas.

In this podcast we discuss how the modern-day Christmas revolves around money and mountains of gifts; ways to ‘reign it back in’ at Christmas (yes, it is possible); why and how to encourage your children to be more grateful; what lessons you can teach your children around Christmas time; and the best bit … the benefits of toy rotation and how it works.