Coparent Academy Podcast

40 Episodes
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By: Linda VanValkenburg and Ron Gore

Lifechanging Coparenting

#168 - Is Children's Church Indoctrination? A Divorced Dad's Dilemma
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Are you a parent navigating different religious beliefs in your household, or worried about your child's exposure to a coparent's faith? This episode is for you.

In this re-edited version of Episode 5 of Coparent Academy, you'll hear the story of a child who found common ground between Southern Baptist and Muslim parents (it involves bacon!), and we'll break down a compelling Reddit post about a dad's fear of 'indoctrination.' Drawing from personal experience as a 'preacher's kid' who was discouraged from independent t...


#167 - Is it Too Soon for My Coparent to Have Overnights?
07/07/2025

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In this episode, we answer a question posed by a mother who is concerned the child is moving to overnights with the father too quickly. The court has approved unsupervised day visits, and now he's asking for overnights. This mother is nervous, not just about the living situation but also about past behaviors. We talk about what truly constitutes a "stable enough" environment for a child's overnight visits, going beyond who's on the lease. Are class differences unfairly influencing perceptions? How can parents ensure their c...


#166 - The Smart Coparent's Secret: Investing in Trust, Not Conflict
06/30/2025

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Are you tired of the constant battles and high "transaction costs" in your co-parenting relationship? This episode dives deep into how cooperation, trust, and empathy can transform your coparenting interactions, making life easier for you and significantly benefiting your child.

We'll break down these important elements in the order they build on each other:

Cooperation: Learn where to start with small, low-investment acts that can chip away at the "us vs. them" mentality. Discover how even minor adjustments...


#165 - Beyond Conflict: Finding Compromise in Coparenting
06/23/2025

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Making coparenting decisions can feel like a minefield, especially when you need to find common ground. In this video, we discuss practical strategies for successful coparenting. We'll show you how to build mutual respect, truly understand your coparent's perspective, and always put your child's well-being first.

You'll learn to spot your deal breakers, grasp the real cost of conflict, and create an environment where your child can truly thrive. We're sharing practical advice on how to approach those tough conversations, avoid unnecessary conflict...


#164 - The Dangers of Rushing Into Reconciliation Therapy
06/17/2025

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Reconciliation therapy offers a path parents and estranged children to reconnect, but it's not without significant risks. Many parents assume there's nothing to lose, but an unprepared approach can actually worsen the situation, causing more pain for both parent and child, and potentially ending any chance of future reconciliation.

In this candid discussion, we dive deep into the often-overlooked dangers of entering reconciliation counseling without proper preparation. We discuss why it's important for estranged parents to be financially ready, emotionally stable, and to...


#163 - Is $200 Per Child Enough for Child Support?
06/09/2025

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What is child support really for? When a parent pays a set amount each month, does that cover every single expense for the children, including seasonal necessities like snow boots? We break down a viral Reddit post from a mom questioning the purpose of the $200 per child she receives monthly.  Her ex-husband claims his child support payments cover his half of new snow boots, even telling the kids he's already paid for them. 

Join us as we discuss the fundamental legal and ethical ob...


#162 - How to Have Hard Conversations with Your Coparent
06/02/2025

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Having tough conversations with your coparent can feel overwhelming, especially when emotions run high or past conflict clouds your judgment. In this video a family law attorney and a therapist talk about practical, compassionate strategies to help coparents with difficult discussions.

Whether you're deciding on daycare, addressing new romantic partners, or managing your child's education, this video will help you:

- Recognize your own mixed emotions

- Prepare for conflict without defensiveness

- Break conversations into manageable...


#161 - Can A 12 Year Decide Which Parent to Live With?
05/26/2025

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Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/JZg4RHaNxd4

There’s a widely misunderstood belief that children can choose which coparent to live with once they turn 12. But the reality is far more complex—and emotionally loaded—for both kids and parents.

In this video we unpack the legal truth, emotional toll, and long-term consequences of involving children in custody decisions. You'll hear why children often say what they think adults want to hear, how parents sometimes weaponize a child's "preference," and how fragile adult self-esteem can result...


#160 - Why Coparents Should Care About Mindfulness
05/19/2025

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Mindfulness is a powerful tool for navigating high-conflict coparenting dynamics. In this episode, we talk with Karen Kranbuehl — a licensed clinical social worker and attorney — about how mindfulness can help coparents move from automatic, stress-driven reactions to more intentional and productive communication.

Learn how slowing down, being curious, and embracing non-judgmental awareness can unlock better outcomes for both you and your children.

Topics covered include:

What mindfulness really meansThe science behind automatic stress responsesReal-life examples of mindful copare...


#159 - 8 Discipline Mistakes That Can Land You in Court
05/12/2025

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Watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-miVOo1A5Nw

Discipline done wrong can destroy your relationship with your child—and even land you in court. In this episode, we break down 8 common discipline mistakes that cost parents not only thousands in legal fees but also the trust of their children and coparents.

Whether you're going through a custody battle, coparenting after separation, or just trying to raise emotionally healthy kids, this video gives you actionable insights to parent wisely—without risking your legal standing or y...


#158 - Do You Know Why You're Mad at Your Coparent?
05/05/2025

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Struggling with a high-conflict coparent?

You’re not alone. But while conflict in coparenting might be unavoidable it doesn't have to be destructive — to you or your kids.

In this episode, we’ll break down a powerful mindset shift to help you stay grounded during frustrating moments. Using the common (and infuriating) example of your coparent being late to a custody exchange, we’ll explore:

Why your anger might not be about just being 10 minutes lateHow to use journali...


#157 - 8 Reasons Not to Mindread Your Coparent
04/28/2025

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Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/wtOVdWh5RLQ

Are you tired of unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings with your coparent? Mindreading can be a major relationship killer, including your coparenting relationship. In this episode, we talk about 8 key reasons why you should never try to mindread your coparent. From avoiding miscommunication to promoting a healthier coparenting dynamic, we discuss the benefits of not assuming what's on your coparent's mind. Watch until the end to learn how to improve your coparenting relationship and create a more positive environment for your c...


#156 - Is the Right of First Refusal Hurting Your Child?
04/21/2025

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Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/u2y48WhgMdI


Is the Right of First Refusal good for your parenting plan—or a source of unnecessary conflict?

In this episode, we break down the controversial clause known as the Right of First Refusal in custody agreements.

You'll learn:

What the Right of First Refusal actually isWhen it works—and when it causes more harm than goodThe impact on children, parental conflict, and coparenting dynamicsWhy we usually recommend against including itWha...


#155 - Are You Overcommunicating with Your Coparent?
04/14/2025

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Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/lqVKHHxQQaY


Unnecessary communication is one of the worst unforced errors in coparenting. Learn what necessary coparenting communication actually looks like, how to avoid emotional traps, and how to stay focused on your child’s best interests.

You’ll learn:
âś… The difference between helpful and necessary communication
âś… How to respond to emotional or petty messages
âś… What to say when your coparent keeps over-sharing
âś… A journalistic method to keep messages clear and focused
âś… Why strict boundari...


#154 - Outside My Window of Tolerance
04/07/2025

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This week a tornado hit our home. And I got COVID. I was reminded how fragile our window of tolerance can be when life throws everything at us all at once.

This week I found myself way outside of my own window of tolerance. In this episode I talk about what that looked like and how I found my way back.

In this episode, I talk about:

The emotional and physical toll of back-to-back crisesHow trauma affects our ability to s...


#153 - How to Calm Your Upset Child
03/31/2025

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Watch this episode on Youtube:  https://youtu.be/qRtXCKc3qOI

Are you struggling to connect with your child during emotional meltdowns?
Feel like nothing you say helps them calm down or understand what went wrong?

In this video, we break down the powerful 4 Rs method — Regulate, Relate, Reason, Restore — based on the work of Dr. Bruce Perry (3 Rs) and trauma-informed parenting techniques. This simple, science-backed approach helps you de-escalate emotional outbursts and guide your child with empathy, connection, and calm.

✨ What You’ll Learn:

How t...


#152 - How to Understand Your Child's Window of Tolerance
03/24/2025

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Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/XYotWpy3HW4

Why do kids suddenly explode with emotion—or completely shut down? In this episode, we look at how Dr. Dan Siegel’s Window of Tolerance model helps us understand emotional regulation in children.

Learn:

- What causes kids to "flip their lid"
- How to spot hyper- and hypo-arousal
- Practical tools to bring your child back into their window of tolerance
- How to expand your child's window of tolerance

Perfe...


#151 - How to Reconnect with your Child
03/17/2025

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Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/QuwvHKor6L0?si=zvsuBaVrrZ86Q8GB

Are you struggling to connect with your child after a divorce or separation? Do you feel like parenting issues may lead to problems in your coparenting relationship? In this episode, we discuss a powerful, trauma-informed approach to connection called PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy).

Originally developed by Dr. Dan Hughes for children in the foster system, PACE can help strengthen your bond, rebuild trust, and support your child through emotional c...


#150 - Hierarchy of Needs for Kids in Two Homes
03/10/2025

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Coparenting is challenging, but what truly matters for your child's well-being? In this video, we break down Dr. Emery’s adaptation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for children in two homes. We’ll discuss what matters more than simply having two parents and how you can create the best possible environment for your child—even after separation or divorce.

🔹 Learn why one good parent is more important than two conflicted ones
🔹 Understand the biggest risk factors for children in co-parenting situations
🔹 Discover how to minimize conflict and support your chil...


#149 - What is Your Internal Working Model?
03/03/2025

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Have you ever reacted to your child in a way that surprised you? Do you sometimes feel frustrated with how you parent? The answer might lie in something deeply ingrained—your internal working model.

In this video, we explore:
🔹 What an internal working model is and how it’s formed
🔹 How your childhood experiences influence your parenting style
🔹 The difference between secure and insecure attachment
🔹 How to recognize and reshape unhelpful parenting patterns

Our early experience...


#148 - Unclassifiable - The Kids Who Changed Attachment Theory
02/24/2025

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Have you ever wondered about kids whose behaviors don't neatly fit into traditional attachment theory categories? Those are the "unclassifiable" children first observed by Mary Ainsworth during her "Strange Situation" tests. This video looks at how these unclassifiable reactions led researcher Mary Main to identify a new attachment style known as "disorganized attachment."

For more resources and in-depth courses visit www.coparentacademy.com.

Have questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you! Send them to ron@coparentacademy.com.


#147 - How Your Child Sees You: The Hidden Blueprint for Their Future
02/17/2025

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Have you ever wondered how your child truly sees you—not just on the surface, but deep down? The way you interact with them forms their inner working model—a blueprint that shapes their future relationships, self-worth, and emotional well-being.

In this video, we break down:
âś… How early experiences shape attachment and trust
âś… The impact of secure vs. insecure attachment styles
âś… Parenting habits that foster emotional security
âś… Practical strategies to help your child build confidence and resilience

Your parenting choices today shape how your chi...


#146 - How to Tell If You Have a Secure Relationship With Your Child
02/10/2025

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Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/YwBdKE9cSOU

Do you ever worry about whether your child feels secure with you—or with your coparent? You're not alone. While there isn’t a simple questionnaire to measure a child's sense of security, attachment theory provides valuable insights into how children form relationships with their caregivers.

In this episode, we discuss the Strange Situation—a groundbreaking assessment developed by Mary Ainsworth to evaluate a child's attachment style. We break down what different attachment styles reveal about the parent-child relatio...


#145 - How Responsive Parenting Shapes a Child’s Attachment
02/04/2025

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Attachment isn’t just about emotions—it’s a survival strategy wired into our DNA. From the moment we’re born, we rely on our caregivers to shape how we connect with the world. But how does this work? And what happens when those connections break down?

* Watch this episode on YouTube (https://youtu.be/7ecu1EYplTU?si=Qvaw4zrCHd4xYpri) 


In this episode, we discuss: 

Why attachment is a survival mechanism, not just a bond.

How parents shape their child’s emotional se...


#144 - How Do Genetics and Stress Shape Your Baby’s Brain?
01/27/2025

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Your baby’s brain develops at an astonishing rate during the first two years of life, and two powerful forces are at play: genetics and experiences. We discuss how these factors work together to shape your baby’s brain architecture and how toxic stress can disrupt this delicate process.

Learn the science behind brain development and find out why to protect your baby from the harmful effects of stress.

Topics Covered:

- The role of genetics and experiences in brain development
- How toxic stress affe...


#143 - How Stress Affects Children During Pregnancy
01/20/2025

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This is Episode 2 in our Raising Emotionally Resilient Children series. 

In this episode we dig into the epigenetic effects of stressors on children during pregnancy. 

We discuss: 

The Diathesis-Stress ModelEpigeneticsPrenatal Brain DevelopmentPrenatal Programming (aka DOHad or the Barker Hypothesis)Examples including the epigenetic effects of the:Descendants of Holocaust survivors; and Children born to mothers who were pregnant with them during the Quebec Ice Storm of 1998

 
Check out the Youtube version of this episode for some additional visual content and links to research articles reviewed and/o...


#142 - Development of a Child's Emotional Brain
01/13/2025

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This is Episode 1 of our Raising Emotionally Resilient Children series.

In this episode we give an overview of how the emotional brain develops, based on the work of Dr. Allan Schore. Next week, we'll get into the details of how the brain develops and what brain scans of mothers and their infants interacting can teach us about attachment.

This week we introduce our new series, Raising Emotionally Resilient Kids.

This series is designed to help you better understand your child’s emotional development so you can su...


#141 - Raising Emotionally Resilient Kids - Series Preview
01/06/2025

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This week we introduce our new series, Raising Emotionally Resilient Kids. 

This series is designed to help you better understand your child’s emotional development so you can support them in becoming resilient, emotionally intelligent, and secure.

The series focuses on two key themes:

The Science of Emotional Development – We’ll explore how a child’s brain develops, from before birth through early childhood and beyond. You’ll learn how the emotional brain works and how your actions as a parent or co-parent shape their future.P...


#140 - Final Replay - College Financial Planning for Parents - Part 2
12/30/2024

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This week is the last in our holiday replay series.  Next week, I'll introduce our new series on the development of children's emotional brain, attachment, and what that all means for coparents. 

The replay this week is part 2 of our conversation with Brad Baldridge.

Brad Baldridge, CFP®, is a College Funding Consultant specializing in late-stage college funding planning and the chief podcaster of Taming The High Cost Of College.  He provides customized planning using the latest financial aid, tax, cash flow and academic strategies.

In this conv...


#139 - Replay - College Financial Planning for Coparents - Part 1
12/23/2024

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This week we begin a replay of our two-episode conversation with Brad Baldridge.

Brad Baldridge, CFP®, is a College Funding Consultant specializing in late-stage college funding planning and the chief podcaster of Taming The High Cost Of College.  He provides customized planning using the latest financial aid, tax, cash flow and academic strategies.

In this conversation, we discuss the difficult situation of college funding during and after a divorce, starting with the foundational information any parent needs to know when planning for the financial realities of their child's co...


#138 - Replay - Extended Forensic Evaluations Interview with Jaime Vogt - Part 2
12/16/2024

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This week we conclude the replay of our conversation with Licensed Professional Counselor Jaime Vogt about Extended Forensic Evaluations (EFE). In this episode, Jaime discusses in detail the process she uses to conduct an EFE.

Jaime is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Oklahoma. She has conducted over 3,000 forensic interviews of children for frontline investigations. 

Prior to starting her private practice she began her work with children as a therapist with Family and Children's Services in the Family Sexual Abuse Treatment Program .  She later became the Ch...


#137 - Replay - Extended Forensic Evaluations Interview with Jaime Vogt - Part 1
12/09/2024

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This week we continue our end of year replay of some of the interview episodes that aired over the past two years. 

This episode is Part 1 of a two-part conversation about extended forensic evaluations with Jaime Vogt. 

Jaime is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Oklahoma. She has conducted over 3,000 forensic interviews of children for frontline investigations. 

Prior to starting her private practice she began her work with children as a therapist with Family and Children's Services in the Family Sexual Abuse Treatment Program .  She...


#136 - Replay - Interview with Justin and Alexis Black: Redefining Normal
12/02/2024

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This episode is a replay of our first ever shared podcast.  Linda and I sit down with an amazing couple, Justin and Alexis Black.  Listen to Justin's podcast, ROSE from Concrete:  ROSE From Concrete (buzzsprout.com)

Justin and Alexis are the authors of Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovering Healing, Happiness, and Love.

Their book is a powerful memoir that takes the reader through their harrowing childhood experiences, which included abuse, neglect, and years in the foster system.  More importantly, however, their book deta...


#135 - Replay - Interview with Author Teresa Harlow
11/25/2024

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This week we start our slide into the New Year with a replay of an episode from 2022 in week we interviewed author Teresa Harlow. For each of the next several weeks as we close out the year, we'll be replaying some of the episodes in which we interviewed guests, including authors, an attorney, and a therapist.  

We spoke with Teresa about her techniques for transforming combative relationships into collaborative partnerships.

Check out her most recent book, Combative to Collaborative: The Co-Parenting Code at https://promethean-publishing.square.site/


#134 - Holidays
11/18/2024

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In this episode, we talk about how to focus on your child's needs during the holidays to avoid conflict and help your child have a wonderful holiday season.

Thanks for listening!  If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at podcast@coparentacademy.com

To see our courses, visit https://coparentacademy.com


#133 - What is a Parenting Coordinator?
11/11/2024

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In this episode, we talk about what a parenting coordinator is and how one can help coparents improve communication and reduce conflict. 

Thanks for listening!  If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at podcast@coparentacademy.com

To see our courses, visit https://coparentacademy.com


#132 - Separation Anxiety for Children in Separated Families
11/04/2024

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In this episode, we talk about separation anxiety for children in separated families, focusing on anxiety related to visitation transfers.

Thanks for listening!  If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at podcast@coparentacademy.com

To see our courses, visit https://coparentacademy.com


#131 - Series Break - High Conflict Communication Replay
10/28/2024

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In this one-episode break from our current series on Separation Anxiety in children, we replay one of our most popular episodes from 2023. Linda and I discuss a Redit post in which a mother asks for advice about how to communicate with her high conflict coparent.
 
Next week we'll return to our series with an episode defining and describing separation anxiety, particularly in children living in two homes.

Thanks for listening!  If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at podcast@coparentacademy.com

To see ou...


#130 - Anxiety in Children
10/21/2024

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In this episode, we talk about anxiety in children, from an infant's fear of strange faces to a teenager's fear about fitting in. We distinguish everyday worries from maladaptive anxiety reactions that may require professional intervention.

Next week we specifically on defining and describing separation anxiety, particularly in children living in two homes.

Thanks for listening!  If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at podcast@coparentacademy.com

To see our courses, visit https://coparentacademy.com


#129 - Separation Anxiety - Series Intro
10/14/2024

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This week starts our new series on separation anxiety. This is a phrase family law professionals often hear as both a sword and a shield in coparenting conflict.

In this series, we'll address what separation anxiety actually is, how to recognize it, and how best to deal with it as coparents. This week's episode is an overview of the topic, which we'll break down in greater detail in future episodes. 

Thanks for listening!  If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at podcast@coparentacademy.com