Christian CoParenting

Bringing HOPE Where Life Hurts

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Counseling Now Available!

I am excited to announce that I will now be meeting with clients
at Trevecca Community Counseling Center in Nashville.

If you are looking for a safe place to process life, please contact us!

Concerns I specialize in:

Divorce Recovery and Life Transition**

Coparenting After Divorce

Children and Divorce Adjustment (ages vary)

Stepfamilies / Blending the Stepfamily

Coparenting Conflict With A Former Spouse

Single Parenting

Premarital / General

Premarital / Step Family Focus

General Life Concerns

** Including a Coparenting Class for divorcing couples in Tennessee

To schedule an appointment, please call us at 615-871-4264
or email Tammy@ChristianCoparenting.com.

Appointments available in the evening and on Saturdays.

Fees based on sliding scale.

Please forward this information to others looking for life resources.
May God BLESS YOU beyond your wildest imagination!

Ephesians 3.20-21!

Sincerely,

Tammy G. Bennett, "The Coparenting Coach"

Bringing HOPE Where Life Hurts!

www.ChristianCoParenting.com
www.TheCoparentingCoach.com

Christian CoParenting Teams Up with the YMCA

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:13:00 +0000

January 17, 2009 - - Coparenting Seminar in Nashville

Please join us for an exciting seminar on Saturday, January 17th from 1.00pm - 5.00pm.

Topics Include:

- Can my children still get the absolute best of both parents after divorce?

- What are the long-term effects of divorce on kids and what can be done to minimize them?

- How do we handle holidays, birthdays and special occasions after divorce?

- How do I facilitate a healthy view of living in two separate homes to my children?

..and much more!

To register email Denise@ChristianCoParenting.com.

HURRY! Seating is very limited!

4 WEEK CLASSES -- Fall 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:08:00 +0000

Hello Friends!

I wanted to alert you of TWO classes we are hosting this fall in Nashville!

Are you a step parent or a single parent? Do your children live between two homes? Please join us for a 4 week class as we discuss the complexities of coparenting and find ways to navigate life for the sake of the children. Cost is $35 per person (includes 4 weeks and workbook).

Two classes will be offered this fall.

FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH
1210 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027
Learning Center, Room 219 / 4 weeks
Thursday evenings 9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25 at 6:00-7:30pm

--OR--

FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH
1210 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027
Learning Center, Room 219 / 4 weeks
Thursday evenings 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 at 6:00-7:30pm

Testimonies
"One word sums it up for me ... "Awesome!"
"I don't want to pass the torch of brokenness to my kids. I sensed hope for them."
"It is encouraging knowing that I'm not alone."
“I learned that I am doing many things WELL and then it raised the bar and gave me 1,000 new ideas of how to allow my children to love both of their parents! Thank you!”
"Way more than I expected - AMAZING!"
“I wish I could have gone through this class 9 years ago – it would have been so helpful to all of us as we started this journey!”

There are TWO WAYS to REGISTER for one of the classes:

1. Log onto the Fellowship Bible Church website at www.FBCTN.org and click on "Soul Care" - then click "Christian CoParenting" and follow the promptings for the process. (This is the preferred method for registration!) It will ask you to create a user name and password for the registration process.

2. Send an email to Tammy@ChristianCoParenting.com with your name and contact information.

We look forward to seeing you this FALL!

** Please forward this information to other friends who are on the coparenting journey!

God bless you!

Tammy G. Bennett
Founder/Christian CoParenting
www.ChristianCoParenting.com

Revive! 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Friends -

I am very excited to announce that we had a wonderful event on Valentine's evening with single parents and children... the theme was "Revive! Celebrating the Life, Legacy & Love of a Single Parent Family" and we did just that!

Music was presented by Kim Hill, Sam Mullins, Anadara and Shirley Logan. We also debuted a new song that was written especially for the event called "Still A Family" that is a prayer for a single parent and his/her children. The children enjoyed various activities by Miss Patty Cake (little tots), Camp Great Escape, Team Faith and Gotee recording artist, Stephanie Smith. It was a fun night for all!

I wanted to share a note that I received from one of the single parents that attended:

Subject: One of the Best Valentines Days!

Dear Tammy,

I applaud you and your team for producing one of the best Valentine's Day gifts I could ever give to myself and my children! We have been revived!

Little did I know that I would be faced with a huge blow this weekend while my kids were visiting their Dad. The validation and affirmation I received on Thursday gave me the strength to handle what could have been an extremely volatile situation! As I continue to have challenges with my children's Dad, I continue to rely on the skills and behaviors I have learned from Christian CoParenting. Thursday was a sweet reminder of the legacy I am giving my children and some great encouragement for me, that I am doing things right-even amidst all the broken places!

I look will be sharing a few more stories about the real-life impact of Revive 2008 and look forward to being in touch with you on a much more frequent basis (thanks DS!).

May today be a blessing - hug your children tight and NEVER LOSE SIGHT of the beautiful blessings that God has given you, even amidst all the broken places...

A companion in the journey,

Tammy G. Bennett

Christian CoParenting

Valentine's Redefined!

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:34:00 +0000

A Tribute to Single Parent Families
By Tammy G. Bennett

Founder, Christian CoParenting

The event “REVIVE! Celebrating the Life, Legacy and Love of a Single Parent Family” was created to celebrate single parents and their children on Valentine’s Day. This city-wide event in Nashville will bring hope and restoration to this holiday as we share success stories and tributes to single parent families along with music and fun for parents and children.

I believe single parent families are just that – FAMILIES! The life, love and legacy of a single parent family is important, no matter how a single parent family is created. Having hope and determination supports emotional healing for parents, and especially for children. It is like the rudder on a large ship; the rudder determines the course and the final destination of the ship. Hopeful and determined parents shape the attitude and final destination of their children’s lives.

Having grown up as a child of divorce and now as a single mother, I know first hand how awkward Valentine’s Day can be for single parents and for children that live between two homes. Having been a single parent for several years, I decided it was time to create an opportunity for adults and children to not only ‘survive’ Valentine’s Day, but to truly look forward to it with great anticipation!

I’ve heard amazing stories of life, love and legacies shaped by determined single parents. Adult children who were raised by a single parent to become healthy-minded, whole adults who are thriving in their own lives, marriages and families. I have encountered single parents who are currently doing a wonderful job raising their children by enlisting friends and family to walk the journey with them. There is a man who lost his beloved wife when his daughters were just 2 and 5 years old and now, years later, they are thriving college students at Belmont University.

I believe by hearing stories of significance and success we can all be encouraged! It helps us find strength when we know that we are not alone on the path of parenting, when friends and family help create a strong foundation for our children, and peace for ourselves. I believe in the life, love and legacy of single parent families.

Join us on Valentine’s evening for dinner and entertainment for the whole family!

Veggie Tales, Miss Patty Cake, Camp Great Escape, Kim Hill, Sam Mullins, Bruce Koblish, Anadara and many more will be part of this single parent family celebration. Tickets are just $15 per single parent family. The event will be held at Fellowship Bible Church at 1210 Franklin Road in Brentwood, TN with doors opening at 5:00pm. All programs begin at 6:00pm for various age groups.

For more information please see: www.ChristianCoParenting.com or call 615-871-4264.

Please share this event information with every single parent you know as we will truly have VALENTINE’S REDEFINED!

Tammy G. Bennett is founder of Christian CoParenting and single mother to Angelia.

Tis The Season to Share The Children...

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:16:00 +0000

Tis The Season to Share The Children
The Holiday Guide to Coparenting

by Tammy G. Bennett

Having grown up as a child of divorce and now as a single mother, I know first hand how complicated and chaotic the holidays can be with children that live between two homes. There’s splitting holidays at 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, expectations of trying to give your child the best holiday experience, and trying to find personal joy in the process. I understand the emotional turmoil that can come from the expectation of creating the “perfect Christmas.”

We all want the best for our children and we treasure the memories; however, when children are being co-parented between multiple households, we must get practical and realistic with the overall process, for the sake of the children, but also for the stability of the parent.

What I’ve come to realize is that what matters most for Angelia is that she is loved and secure 365 days a year — that’s the most important foundation I can give her, not a Christmas full of toys and gifts or a New Year’s trip to New York. It’s that on-going stability that will give her a foundation to build her healthy life. This truth has become the filter for every decision I make related to her life.

With that in mind, here are some ideas for making this shared Christmas bright for your children:

Your children need both Mommy and Daddy to confirm they are loved and secure in both homes, year round.
Allow your children to share with you the joy of being in their other home. Affirm their joy with your own healthy response. Your children’s hearts will be whole when your response is affirming.
Create a photo collage of your child with their other parent and give it to them as a gift this year. Encourage your child to hang it in their room at your house.
Purchase a large corkboard and encourage your child to put special tokens and mementos of their other parent and the family on the board (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, stepmother, stepsiblings, etc.) as a way to celebrate their other family.
Bake a “Happy Birthday Jesus” cake with your children and read the Christmas story together. Bake a second cake and deliver it to another single parent family as a gift from your family.

And if this is going to be a holiday without the kids, especially the first Christmas the children are away:

Invite a friend to be with you at your home as your children leave or to ride along with you as you drop them off. Be kind to yourself by acknowledging the initial pain that you may feel, but plan ahead to care for yourself and create an extra-fun experience for everyone instead of an emotional train wreck.
No matter what you feel inside, release your children to go with their other parent and encourage them (with specific happy words) to have fun! If your children know you’re OK then they will be OK. Each year this will get easier.
Make plans with friends or family — don’t sulk at home alone.
Plan time with another single parent— see a movie or get a milkshake.
Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter and give to others in need.
Remember, God’s comfort is close - He has promised us that he will never leave or forsake us. He is with you at all times!

Life after divorce is a process. With each step, it gets easier. Give yourself permission to re-frame and re-define your expectations as a healthy minded parent! Find joy in the journey.

Be strong for your children. Be intentional for yourself. Decide this year will be your best year yet in pre-planning for the complications of the holidays!

A companion in the process,

Tammy G. Bennett
Founder / Executive Director
Christian CoParenting

"Bringing HOPE where life hurts..."

MOPS and AACC

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:05:00 +0000

What a blessing the last 2 weeks have been! Our ministry team had an exhibit booth at two wonderful conferences: MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors). Mops was in Orlando and AACC was here in Nashville.

The extensive interaction we had with all of the event attendees was just priceless! We did two days of video shoots at the AACC and one day at MOPS (thanks to Paul our video expert!). We met wonderful industry leaders, authors and other influencers who love and care about coparenting.

Thank you to our donors and supporters who made this all possible!

A special thanks to all that came out to help man the exhibit booths and to offer hands-on set up and tear down help. We could not have done it all without each and every one of you!

We will be in touch to give more specific updates about these two events, but please keep our ministry in your prayers as we continue to seek after God's plans and purposes for all that He has called us to do.

Humbly,
Tammy G. Bennett
Christian CoParenting

Summer is Coming to a Close...

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 19:46:00 +0000

Moms, Dads, Stepmoms & Stepdads:

I almost cannot BELIEVE that summer is almost behind us. My daughter and I just spent an AMAZING week at Camp Great Escape and we are both wishing it was only June! Between the jet skiing and the worship services, we did not want to come home! Please see www.CampGreatEscape.com for more details and fun photos!

As everyone begins to buy school supplies, backpacks and new school clothes I am reminded of how exciting a new school year can be! I want to encourage all the parents to plan ahead and be intentional with your words and actions as you meet new teachers and principles and try to have a "team" attitude about coparenting this fall. Your children will benefit THE MOST when the parents argue the least. Your children will feel the most STABLE when the parents are kind and cordial with each other. Working together can be complicated and at times even confusing - but start fresh this fall with a new attitude of coparenting cooperation... for the sake of your children!

I hope you will enjoy the coparenting article in Christian Single Magazine that is out this month in the August edition. It is called, "It Takes Two." You can download a copy under "Seminars/Resources" here on our website.

We have some exciting events and seminars in the Nashville area this fall - please consider attending one of them. It would be wonderful to see you.

May God grant you His peace as you prepare for this new school year...

A companion in the process,

Tammy Gallegos Bennett
Founder/Executive Director
Christian CoParenting
www.ChristianCoParenting.com

"Bringing HOPE where life hurts..."

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Gallegos Bennett) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 00:20:00 +0000

Moms, Dads, Stepmoms & Stepdads:

As this new year unfolds, I pray that your coparenting journey will continue to grow and become a safe place for your child(ren) to live and to be free to love all of you!!

I am in the process of creating this new blog and will be updating it soon with articles and other resources - please see our website for more information.

A companion in the process,

Tammy Gallegos Bennett, Founder
Christian CoParenting
www.ChristianCoParenting.com