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| Introduction | |
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| About This Book | |
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| Foolish Assumptions | |
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| How This Book Is Organized | |
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| Icons Used in This Book | |
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| Where to Go from Here | |
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| Surviving Your Change in Status | |
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| Winning the Single Parenthood Challenge | |
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| Taking a Look at Ten Challenges | |
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| Realizing You're Not the Only Single Parent in the World | |
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| Becoming Inspired by Real-Life Success Stories | |
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| Fitting a Onesy into a Twosy World | |
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| Overcoming the Suddenly Single Syndrome | |
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| Being Single from the Start | |
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| Kicking Up Your Single Heels | |
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| Calling It Legalese Is Oxymoronic | |
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| Divvying Things Up After the Divorce | |
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| Wrestling for Your Rights | |
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| Adjusting Further: The Only Constant Is Change | |
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| Crunching Time | |
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| Simply Flying? Simplify | |
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| Doing Like Ringo Says and Accepting a Little Help | |
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| Doing the Splits: Flexibility | |
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| Crunching Numbers | |
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| Avoiding the Five Biggest Single-Parent Money Mistakes | |
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| Doing the Math: Single Parent = Single Income | |
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| Fudging a Budget Isn't Allowed | |
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| Living Comfortably on Less | |
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| Knowing When to Seek Help | |
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| Keeping Close to Your Kids | |
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| Weighing in with Both Parents | |
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| Dealing with Ages and Stages | |
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| You Want What on Your Sandwich? Coping with Kids' Quirks | |
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| Adjusting Your Schedule | |
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| Making Your Time Together Fun | |
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| Talking Trucks and Tutus: Gender Issues | |
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| Digging On Dads | |
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| Marveling at Moms | |
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| Mothers and Sons, Dads and Daughters | |
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| Avoiding Stereotypical Behavior | |
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| Fouling up: Avoiding the Biggest Mistakes | |
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| Providing Role Models | |
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| Considering Your Kid's Point of View | |
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| Loving Them Up So They Feel Safe | |
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| Showing an Appetite: Craving Attention | |
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| Throwing a Fit About the Split? | |
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| Wanting to Talk About Stuff | |
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| Calling for Help: Needing Professional Counseling | |
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| Challenging Your Maturity: Co-Parenting | |
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| Compromising: Knowing When to Fold 'Em | |
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| Avoiding a Leaning Tower of Co-Parenting: Designing a Sound Plan | |
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| Putting the Plan to Work | |
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| Avoiding the Biggest Mistakes Made by Single Parents | |
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| Considering Your Kids' Bill of Rights | |
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| Coexisting Peacefully with Other "Parents" | |
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| Agreeing to See Grandparents | |
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| Being Civil to Stepparents | |
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| Seeing the Good in Godparents | |
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| Setting Guidelines for Family Visits | |
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| Keeping Cool When Resolving Co-Parenting Problems | |
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| Easing Transition Anxiety | |
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| Taking That Hex off Your Ex | |
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| Dealing with Co-parenting Problems | |
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| Living Well Helps Your Kids Bloom, Too | |
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| You Don't Get Healin' without Grievin' | |
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| Grieving with Grace: Good Luck! | |
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| Scaling Grief's Stages | |
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| Forgiving Yourself | |
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| Letting Go of Anger and Jealousy | |
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| Grieving at Three Feet Tall | |
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| Giving Yourself a Break Because You're Worth It | |
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| Cheering Yourself On | |
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| Putting Your Feet Up | |
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| Staying Fit and Frisky | |
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| Acting Like a Kid | |
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| Getting a Fuzzy Buddy: Pets | |
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| Giving Yourself Some Goodies | |
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| Therapy Isn't Just for the Rich and Famous | |
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| Facing Facts: You May Need Help | |
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| Benefiting from Professional Therapy | |
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| Jockeying for Support | |
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| Finding Those Other Fish in the Sea | |
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| Dating Tips for the Middle-Aged Teen | |
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| Looking at the Big Picture Before You Leap into Dating | |
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| Analyzing Your Expectations | |
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| Mustering Up Some Trust | |
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| Looking Your Fear Smack Dab in the Face | |
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| Cramming a Date Into Your Hectic Schedule | |
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| Scraping Up Enough Bucks to Date | |
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| Blended Can Be Splendid | |
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| Avoiding the Big R: Marrying on the Rebound | |
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| Considering a Prenuptial Agreement | |
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| Facing Blended-Family Struggles | |
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| Following the Ten Stepparent Commandments | |
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| The Part of Tens | |
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| Ten Questions Single Parents Most Frequently Ask | |
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| How Can I Adjust? | |
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| How Can I Heal? | |
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| How Can I Make Fair Child-Support and Alimony Payments? | |
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| How Can I Receive Fair Child-Support and Alimony Payments? | |
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| How Can I Make It on My Budget? | |
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| How Can We Develop a Co-parenting Plan That Works? | |
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| Where Can I Find a Single-Parent Support Group? | |
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| Where Can I Find Counseling for My Kids and Myself? | |
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| How Do I Get Back into the Dating Game? | |
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| What Factors Should I Consider Before Remarriage? | |
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| Ten Great Resources for Single Parents | |
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| American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) | |
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| American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy | |
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| Big Brothers Big Sisters of America | |
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| National Center for Missing and Exploited Children | |
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| National Council for Adoption (NCFA) | |
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| National Organization of Single Mothers | |
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| Parents Without Partners | |
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| Resolve | |
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| Single Mothers by Choice | |
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| Stepfamily Association of America (SAA) | |
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| Index | |