Kids First Co-Parenting with Dr. Royster

Ever watched your child’s face twist with confusion? Up at night worrying about gaslighting and how to protect your child from the exact dynamics you experienced?

 We’re tackling the quiet damage of gaslighting in high-conflict co-parenting and sharing the exact words you can use to steady your kid without badmouthing your ex or dragging them into the middle.

We start with validation on steroids. You’ll learn simple, easy t...

What happens when the already intense world of competitive youth sports collides with the complexities of co-parenting after divorce? Dr. Alec Baker, a psychologist specializing in both sports psychology and family dynamics, joins Dr. Royster to explore this challenging intersection where parental dreams, financial pressures, and children's wellbeing often compete for priority.

Drawing from his background as a former ...

Ever wondered if your child is being gaslit by their other parent? Manipulated into questioning their own reality? You're not alone, and you're not being paranoid.

Gaslighting - that subtle psychological manipulation where someone makes you question your own perceptions and memories - can be devastating for children caught in high-conflict co-parenting situations. When a child starts doubting what they saw, heard...

Overwhelmed by the advice to "document everything" in your high-conflict co-parenting situation? You're not alone. In this practical episode, Dr. Karalynn Royster tackles the documentation dilemma head-on, offering clear strategies to transform that mountain of screenshots into a manageable, effective system.

Documentation serves three crucial purposes: creating an objective record of events for legal procee...

Show Notes: 

Dr. Karalynn Royster invites child psychologist Dr. Julianne Monday to explore the connection between anxious moms and anxious kids, discussing how parental regulation impacts children's emotional development. They share practical strategies for breaking generational patterns and creating emotionally safe homes while addressing the pervasive issue of mom guilt.

Key Points:
• Dr. Monday's journey f...

Summary:

Dr. Karalynn Royster explores how to respond when your child returns from their co-parent's home repeating confusing or inaccurate information. This episode provides practical guidance on validating your child's experience while maintaining appropriate boundaries that protect them from adult conflicts.

Takeaways:

• Children asking difficult questions shows they trust you enough to bring challenging topics ...

Summary: Our neurobiological response to co-parenting stress often mirrors evolutionary survival mechanisms, triggering fight, flight, freeze, or fawn reactions when we receive messages from difficult ex-partners. Recognizing these pattern is the critical first step to interrupting automatic responses and choosing more intentional communication.

Key Takeaways:

• The "four Fs" (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) are natu...

Summary
In this episode, Dr. Karalynn Royster discusses the complexities of co-parenting, particularly in high-conflict situations. She emphasizes the importance of establishing strong boundaries to protect both the parent and the child. The conversation covers three main types of boundaries: emotional, communication, and parenting boundaries, providing insights and strategies for mothers navigating difficult co-parenting dynam...

Summary

Parallel parenting provides a structured approach for co-parenting with high-conflict exes by creating strong boundaries and limiting communication. This episode explores different co-parenting styles and helps you determine if parallel parenting might be the right approach for your situation.

Key Takeaways:
• Different co-parenting styles exist on a spectrum from nesting to collaborative co-parenting to paralle...

Episode Summary: 

We explore how to handle tough questions from your children about separation, divorce, or your past relationship in ways that are honest, developmentally appropriate, and emotionally supportive.

Key Points
• Understand what's driving your child's question before answering 
• Validate their question first with phrases 
• Gently assess why they might be asking 
• Keep responses chil...

Welcome to Kids First Co-Parenting, the podcast for smart, intentional moms navigating life after divorce with a difficult ex. Your host, Dr. Karalynn Royster, a child psychologist and co-parenting expert, this show offers real-world guidance for mothers raising emotionally secure kids in high conflict family dynamics.

Each episode blends child development insights with concrete strategies for managing co-parenting stress, setting b...