Being a Great Divorced Father: Real-Life Advice from a Dad Who's Been There

by Mandelstein, Paul

• ISBN13: 9781413312645
• ISBN10: 1413312640
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-09-07
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

Maintain a great relationship with your kids during and after divorce. If you're a father going through a divorce and you want to maintain a great relationship with your kids, you need the practical advice that Being a Great Divorced Father offers. Learn how to build a life after your divorce, with your kids' needs at the forefront, including: communicating effectively with your ex; managing babysitters; after school care and other details of daily life; settling legal and custody issues

Author Biography

Paul Mandelstein is the founder and executive director of the Father Resource Network (www.father.com), which provides support and referral services. Paul is also a pioneer in the field of personal communications and technology reference publishing. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Table of Contents

Your Divorced Dad's Companion: Lemons Into Lemonade	p. 1
A Chance for Growth	p. 2
Getting Started	p. 3
It's All About the Kids	p. 4
Making the Decision to Divorce	p. 7
One Last Try	p. 10
Honoring the Bonds of Our Children	p. 14
Taking Care of Yourself	p. 22
Who Moves Out?	p. 23
Leave the Lawyer Stuff for Later if You Can	p. 26
Money, Money, Money, Money	p. 28
Hang In There	p. 30
Setting Up Housekeeping	p. 31
Making a Home	p. 34
Location, Location, Location	p. 36
Make Room for the Kids	p. 39
What's Cookin'?	p. 41
Excuse Me! Do I Look Like a Taxi?	p. 43
Remember You're Human	p. 44
Taking Stock	p. 45
Two Parents, Two Homes: How to Make Shared Custody Work	p. 47
Dealing With the Changes	p. 49
Some Things Don't Change	p. 52
Staying Connected	p. 53
Different Voices, Different Homes	p. 55
Establishing Your House Rules	p. 57
Getting Flexible at Work	p. 60
Show Up When You Say You Will	p. 61
Presence, Not Presents	p. 70
A Day in the Life	p. 73
A Typical Day	p. 75
On Less-Than-ldeal Days	p. 76
Managing the Details	p. 82
Baby Sitters and After-School Care	p. 89
Right Speech and Staying Focused on the Future	p. 92
Settling Up: Legal and Custody Issues	p. 95
The High Cost of Conflict	p. 98
The Basics of the Legal Divorce	p. 100
Dividing the Pie: Spousal Support and Property Division	p. 110
Legal Issues When a Spouse Is in the Military	p. 120
How to Choose an Attorney	p. 122
Making a Paper Trail	p. 123
When You Have to Fight	p. 124
Assume the Impossible Is Possible	p. 129
Don't Underestimate Your Stress	p. 130
Opportunities for Personal Growth	p. 131
Being the Parent You Want to Be	p. 133
Becoming the Parent You Want to Be	p. 134
Keeping Your Kids Out of the Fray	p. 141
Setting Limits	p. 144
Watching for Signs of Stress in Your Kids	p. 155
Our Teenagers, Ourselves	p. 162
Keeping the Peace and Keeping Yourself Together	p. 169
Keeping the Peace With Your Ex	p. 170
Keeping Yourself Together	p. 179
Recognizing and Managing Stress	p. 181
Ten Not-So-Hard-and-Fast Rules for Managing Stress	p. 184
Recognizing and Managing Depression	p. 186
Choosing Your Problems	p. 188
Letting Go of Your Problems	p. 193
Don't Go It Alone	p. 196
Friends and Lovers	p. 199
The Dating Game: Ready or Not?	p. 200
Back in the Game	p. 203
Dating and Your Ex	p. 206
Introducing Your New Love to the Kids	p. 209
You're the Boss of You	p. 216
When Your Ex Starts Dating	p. 218
A Second Chance: Remarriage and Blending Families	p. 221
Parenting in a Blended Family	p. 224
Make Space for Mourning and Change Will Happen	p. 232
New Family, New Rituals	p. 233
Dealing With Your Ex About Your Marriage-And Hers	p. 235
Do We Really Have to Talk About This?	p. 238
Nurturing Your Relationship	p. 241
Nurturing Your Extended Family	p. 241
Index	p. 243
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.