Table of Contents
A Few Things Before We Begin… 1
It's Over 3
Chapter 1 Pulling Yourself Out of Bed After Reality Sets In 5
Chapter 2 The Five W's of Breaking the News (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How to Spill the Divorce Beans) 18
Chapter 3 Uncomfortable Comfort: Dismantling a Family and Life as You Knew It 29
Chapter 4 Getting Laid After Divorce, Part 1 36
Chapter 5 Misery Loves Company: But Friends Are for More than That 44
Chapter 6 Two Hands and Too Much to Handle-Single Parenting Survival Tips 53
Chapter 7 Surviving the First Weekend Without Your Kids 64
Chapter 8 Parenting in Pieces: Surviving Your Time Without the Kids from Now On 73
Chapter 9 Speaking of Kids, They're Ruined Forever, Right? How Kids Process Divorce at Every Age 86
Chapter 10 Co-Parenting Life Hacks for Maintaining Consistency in Two Homes 96
Chapter 11 The Parenting-Plan Secrets No One Has Told You About 106
Chapter 12 My Ex Hates Me. Will His Anger Ever Go Away? 118
Chapter 13 I Hate My Ex. Will My Anger Ever Go Away? 131
Chapter 14 This Isn't About You, It's About Them 138
Chapter 15 "Mommy, What Does Ra-vorced Mean?": The Uncomfortable Questions Your Kids Will Ask and How to Answer Them 146
Chapter 16 Getting Over Betrayal and Gaslighting, and Learning to Trust Your Gut Again 155
Chapter 17 Breaking Old Patterns and Understanding Your Attachment Style 162
Chapter 18 A New Mindset: The Glass Isn't Half-Empty or Half-Full-It's Refillable 171
Chapter 19 Sassy Classy & a Little Bit Badassy-Your Best Self After Divorce 178
Chapter 20 Dos and Don'ts of Dating After Divorce 186
Chapter 21 Getting Laid After Divorce, Part 2 193
Chapter 22 Will I Die Alone? 201
Chapter 23 Breaking the News of New Love: How to Handle It with Your Ex and Kids 209
Chapter 24 Your Happily-Ever-After 217
Chapter 25 All at Once or Nothing at All: The Full Reinvention 225
Chapter 26 One Step Forward, Three Steps Back 234
Epilogue 239
Bonus Your Step-by-Step Journaling
Chapter Blueprint 242
Acknowledgements 249
Notes 253