20. *Expert Alert* Carol Barkes - Your Brain on Divorce, Why Parents Struggle to Keep Kids First

22. Tara - Early Teen Years - She Loved Her Dad, But He Scared Her Mom - A Story of Grit

Tara grew up in Texas, one of many siblings, inside a relationship that broke and rebuilt itself again and again. Her parents split and got back together several times — a cycle marked by volatile fights and an underlying fear her mother carried, even when Tara, as a kid, didn't fully feel or understand it. What she did experience, several times, was the middle-of-the-night pack-up. The quick gathering of things. The leaving. And eventually, a leaving they didn't come back from. The layer that makes Tara's story so powerful is the incongruence she had to hold: her father had a volatile relationship with her mother, but his relationship with her was warm, steady, and connected. She loved him. Trying to make sense of both truths at once shaped how she sees people, conflict, and family to this day. Life after the last leaving was anything but stable — the marital home, then the projects, then women's shelters, a trailer park, a string of apartments. And then the part that may hit hardest for anyone who grew up in financial chaos: at 16, Tara started working. Not only for a cell phone bill. She was contributing to her mother for family necessities, an expectation that was never spoken aloud but absolutely understood. That kind of early adultification leaves marks, and she names them clearly. She married young, and in the ten years that followed, did the slow, real work of growing inside a marriage — coming out the other side stronger, clearer, and remarkably self-aware. Tara's is a story of grit in the truest sense of the word: the quiet, daily kind that builds a whole life one decision at a time. Find Tara: * Website: RepandEat.com [http://RepandEat.com] * Instagram: @TrainerTara_Fit [https://instagram.com/TrainerTara_Fit] ---------------------------------------- In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach, mediator, and adult child of divorce, featuring honest conversations with people about what their parents' divorce shaped, broke, and built in them. Have a question, a story to share, or interested in being a guest? Reach Shannon directly at sdarrow@onward-mc.com [sdarrow@onward-mc.com]. Follow the show on Instagram @inbetweenthempod, and if this episode resonated, please rate and review In Between Them on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it's the single most helpful thing you can do to help other adult children of divorce find the show. Chapters * 00:00 Introduction and Background * 06:05 Repetitive Separations * 11:12 Impact on Siblings * 16:24 Life Before and After Divorce * 24:23 Life After Divorce * 34:06 Parents' Relationship After Divorce * 40:00 Childhood Perceptions of Fear * 49:42 Revelations and Admissions * 59:05 Impact of Parental Communication * 01:14:21 Life-Changing Books

21. Mark - Nearly 2 years old - Dad Took the Boys and Mom Took the Girl

Mark was under two years old when his parents divorced — too young to remember the before, but old enough to spend the rest of his childhood inside the after. In this episode, Mark walks us through one of the most unconventional family arrangements we've featured on the show: a split where his dad first took the two younger siblings and his mom took the two older ones — and then, on what Mark calls "draft day," the family reshuffled again, with his mom taking his sister and his dad taking all three boys. It's a story that sounds almost impossible to imagine living through, and yet Mark tells it with the matter-of-factness of someone who simply grew up that way. He saw his mom on weekends, but remembers her as deeply present for the things that mattered to him as a kid. His dad remarried a woman who was strict but kind, and Mark got along with her well. What stays with you in this conversation isn't loud conflict — it's the quiet kind. Mark's parents never fought openly, but there was an underlying tension that was palpable, and he felt it early. He talks about the thing so many kids of divorce will recognize instantly: standing on the field after his games and watching other families gather and chat easily, while his own parents waited in a kind of line-up to talk to him separately. He just wished, simply, that they could have stood there together. In his later years, an unfortunate conflict at his dad's house moved Mark to his mom's — beginning years of living with her, and years of slow, quiet repair work with his dad. That repair was made harder by the fact that neither parent was a natural communicator of feelings; little things have been acknowledged over the years, but not much, and not loudly. Mark's is not a story of an overtly contentious childhood — and that's part of what makes it valuable. He's honest about the residual effects he still sees showing up in his own parenting: the ways he's like his dad, and the specific ways he's working to do things differently. His awareness is the through-line. This episode is a thoughtful look at how childhood experience quietly shapes the parent you become, the lessons pulled from early choices, the importance of unity and non-negotiable values in co-parenting, and how the influence of how parents work together (or don't) lands on the kids. The conversation closes, as always, with a book recommendation and a lighter note to send you off. Mark's book recommendation: Band of Brothers ---------------------------------------- In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach, mediator, and adult child of divorce, featuring honest conversations with people about what their parents' divorce shaped, broke, and built in them. Have a question, a story to share, or interested in being a guest? Reach Shannon directly at sdarrow@onward-mc.com [sdarrow@onward-mc.com]. Follow the show on Instagram @inbetweenthempod, and if this episode resonated, please rate and review In Between Them on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it's the single most helpful thing you can do to help other adult children of divorce find the show. Chapters * 00:00 Early Life and Family Dynamics * 05:41 Impact of Divorce * 15:45 Living Arrangements and Relationships * 22:14 Moving to Mother's Home * 31:19 Life Changes and Rapid Transitions * 37:18 Co-Parenting and Its Impact on Children * 43:14 The Importance of Co-Parenting and Unity * 51:43 The Value of Non-Negotiable Parenting Values * 57:02 Book Recommendations and Lighter Note

20. *Expert Alert* Carol Barkes - Your Brain on Divorce, Why Parents Struggle to Keep Kids First

In this expert episode, we sit down with Carol Barkes — America's leading neuroscience-based conflict expert, TEDx speaker, mediator, and consultant — to talk about something every divorcing parent or any professional working with divorce parents needs to understand: what is actually happening inside our brains in the middle of a conflict, and why do well-intended parents make so many mistakes? Carol breaks down, why our brains shut down under conflict and why that matters so much inside divorce — where the stakes are high, the history is long, and almost every conversation is loaded. She gets specific about the impacts on kids. When parents can't regulate their emotions in the middle of conflict, children pay the price — silently, and often invisibly, in ways that surface years later. The good news: parental awareness around their own behavior and reactions is one of the single most protective factors a child can have. Small shifts in how parents show up during conflict make an outsized difference in what kids carry forward. A few of the moments from this conversation that will stick with you: * The zinger problem. When someone lands a dig — that perfect, satisfying comeback — the other person's brain literally shuts off. Nothing productive can happen from there. And divorce, as Carol puts it, is full of zingers. Learning to notice the urge and not take the bait may be the most underrated skill in the whole process. * Be "conflict curious." Instead of attacking, ask questions. Curiosity is the opposite of contempt, and it's the only thing that keeps the other person's brain online long enough for anything real to happen. * Perspective is everything. Carol gives clear, practical examples of why understanding how the other person is seeing the situation is critical — not because you have to agree, but because you can't move through a conflict you don't actually understand. * Strategies you can use today. Concrete tools for staying regulated, slowing the moment down, and protecting your kids from being collateral damage in the middle of an adult disagreement. Whether you're navigating an active divorce, co-parenting through one, or making sense of one you grew up inside of — this conversation will change how you hear your own voice in the middle of a fight. Find Carol: * Website: carolbarkes.com [http://carolbarkes.com] * Instagram: @carol.barkes [https://instagram.com/carol.barkes] * Watch her TEDx talk: youtu.be/ulDT5C_LXkk [http://youtu.be/ulDT5C_LXkk] Carol's book recommendation: Words Can Change Your Brain by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman. Chapters * 00:00 The Role of Neuroscience in Conflict Resolution * 35:34 Understanding Power Dynamics in Co-Parenting * 46:58 Unintended Impacts of Divorce on Children * 58:17 Managing Emotions and Communication in Mediation Have a question, a story to share, or interested in being a guest? Reach Shannon directly at shannon@onward-mc.com [sdarrow@onward-mc.com]. Follow the show on Instagram @inbetweenthempod

19. Vanessa - 3 years old - From "I'm Fine" to Honest: Absent Father, Strong Mom, then Peace

Vanessa was three years old when her parents divorced — too young to understand what was breaking, but old enough to start building something new. In this episode, Vanessa shares the story of growing up as one half of a team with her mom, a stretch of time spent at her grandparents' house, and the every-other-weekend rhythm with her dad that anchored her childhood — until he moved away, and the distance changed everything. What was supposed to be a plan became space. And space, over time, became resentment. Vanessa walks us through the emotional evolution most kids of divorce know intimately but rarely get to name out loud: the "I'm fine" years, where she leaned on her mom's strength and convinced herself she didn't need anything more; the teenage years, when "fine" cracked open into anger toward her dad; and now, as an adult, the more complicated place of seeing all the missed opportunities clearly — while still wanting to know her dad as a person, not just as the parent who wasn't there. But this episode isn't only about looking back. It's about what Vanessa has built forward. In her own parenting and step-parenting journey, she's taken the hardest parts of her childhood and turned them into a blueprint: keep the calm, keep the peace, and protect the kids from the noise the adults create. She and her family have laid a strong foundation between blended households, learned that flexibility almost always creates a better outcome than rigidity, and built a one-of-a-kind parenting time schedule that genuinely works for everyone involved — kids included. Tune in for Vanessa's childhood story and so much more — there's a lot to learn here about absent fathers and what reconnection can (and can't) look like later in life, but also about married life, blended family dynamics, and how everything from back then has been carried forward to make her stronger, softer, and more aware in the life she's living now. ---------------------------------------- Connect with Vanessa's Business: * Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/realtorrashelle]abranchandcord ---------------------------------------- Book Recommendation from this episode: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Takeaways * Parental influence shapes childhood experiences * Reconnecting with absent parents can lead to personal growth Childhood experiences impact adult relationships * Communication is key to resolving conflicts and maintaining relationships Chapters * 00:00 Early Life and Family * 05:56 Transitioning Between Homes * 12:00 Teen Years and Relationship with Father * 18:02 Changing Last Name and Reconnecting with Father * 25:53 Reflections on Parental Influence * 35:53 Dating and Relationships * 50:45 Step-Parenting and Co-Parenting * 59:04 Flexibility in Parenting Schedules * 01:09:08 The Value of Communication

18. Rashelle - 15 years old - Her Unruly Childhood Helped Her Do Divorce Better

---------------------------------------- The Long Shadow of a Divided Home: Rashelle's Story When Rashelle was just 5 years old, she lost her biological father. By 6, her mom had remarried, and by 15, that marriage was ending too. But the divorce itself wasn't the hardest part — it was everything that came with it. A house filled with constant fighting. The instinctive, bone-deep urge to shield her two younger siblings from the storm. The quiet weight of being the oldest in a home where the adults couldn't hold it together. In this episode, Rashelle takes us back to moments that still sting — like senior night, when her parents struggled to stand together to take a single photo with her. That animosity didn't fade with time. Now in her 40s, she still can't mention one parent in front of the other without everything going sideways. But this is where her story turns. Rashelle opens up about how the pain of her childhood became the blueprint for one of the most intentional choices of her adult life: building a united co-parenting front with her ex-husband for their daughter. It isn't always easy. There are hard days, hard conversations, and moments where it would be easier to let the wall go up. But Rashelle does the work — every single time — because she's giving her daughter the very thing she longed for and never received: two parents who can stand together, even after standing apart. ---------------------------------------- Connect with Rashelle: * Instagram: @realtorrashelle [https://www.instagram.com/realtorrashelle] * Realtor serving the Willamette Valley, Oregon * Listen to her podcast, The Realtor Who Wines, on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-realtor-who-wines/id1804767105] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0LjeLoEmYT1KcKH8Q6QWbN] ---------------------------------------- Book Recommendation from this episode: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Takeaways * Family dynamics impact childhood * Managing parental conflict as a child * Long-lasting impact of parental divorce Impact of Divorce on Parent-Child Relationships * Parenting Through Divorce Setting Boundaries * Letting Go of Control Chapters * 00:00 Introduction and Background * 05:54 Impact of Parental Divorce * 14:51 Coping Strategies and Impact * 20:57 Parental Conflict and Impact on Relationships * 56:08 Supporting Children's Relationships with Step-Parents * 01:05:43 The Long-Term Journey of Co-Parenting * 01:12:35 Clothing and Material Matters * 01:19:05 The Power of Boundaries