single parents

Looking for love, companionship and a life partner means dating – for better or for worse. So this time on Kids These Days! we’re exploring what happens when mom or dad start dating again after a divorce or death of a spouse, and we’ll also turn an eye to teens and dating - how are the kids these days doing relationships (or not)?  

What's the best relationship advice you ever received, moms and dads? Share it in the comments below!

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining host Shana Sheehy in the studio are two professionals with personal experience on the topic. 

• Ashley M. Barrera is a marital and family therapist in Anchorage who holds master’s of science in human development and family studies from Iowa State University. She is in private practice in Anchorage where she works with individuals, couples and families on topics related to relationship enhancement, divorce, remarriage and blended family therapy. Ashley is a proud member of a blended family herself, who enjoys sharing her life with her fiancé and his six year old son.

• Kyle Bradford is the man behind ChopperPapa.com, a blog of observations on single fatherhood, divorce, relationships, dating, manhood, and other subjects he lovingly calls "intellectual roadkill". A divorced dad for 7 years, Kyle is profoundly familiar with what it means to be a parent in the "modern family". He resides with his children, ages 8 and 10, in Atlanta, Georgia where he joined us from the WABE studios.

LINKS FROM THIS PROGRAM: 

• AshleyMBarrera.com
• ChopperPapa.com
• Online Dating Statistics
• Alaska Men magazine

Articles/Studies:

• Adolescence & the Dating Parent (Psychology Today)
• Adolescent Dating: What Makes a Good Relationship? (Psychology Today)
• Teenage Dating in a 'Twilight' 'Hunger Games' World (Good Men Project)
• When Divorced Parents Start Dating Again (Oregon Live)
• Simple Rules for Dating a Widow/Widower (Young Widows & Widowers)
• Dating After Divorce: The Basics (DivorceHelpForParents.com)

Books recommended by Ashley:

• The Good Divorce: Keeping Your Family Together When Your Marriage Comes Apart (Constance Ahrons, Ph.D.)
• Mom's House, Dad's House: Making Two Homes for Your Kids (Isolina Ricci)
• Mom's House, Dad's House for Kids (Isolina Ricci)
• Love Him, Love His Kids:  The Stepmother's Guide to Surviving & Thriving in a Blended Family (Stan Wenck/Connie Hansen) 

FEATURED STORIES:

- Alaska's Favorite Matchmaker - Editor and founder of Alaska Men magazine, Susie Carter has been helping people find each other for almost three decades and, in that time, she's learned a lot about love and making relationships work. She shared her perspective on looking for love in the last frontier with KTD producer Sarah Gonzales.

- Teens Discuss Dating, "Drama" & "Hooking Up" - How do kids today "go out" or "hook up" -- what do those terms even mean? We talked to a few teens about the world of dating in high school and college.

- KTDontheGO: Date Night for Parents - Married couples also need to get out now and then for a little one-on-one couple time. Our AKontheGo blogger Erin Kirkland suggests skipping the traditional "Date Night" for something a little more adventurous.