In Between Them

Shannon Darrow
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Personal Journals

Divorce shapes childhood in ways parents often can't see—especially when they're in the middle of an emotional fog, fear, or in survival mode. In Between Them is a parenting podcast that brings forward the voices we rarely hear: the children of divorce, now grown, reflecting on the experiences that shaped them. Hosted by an entrepreneur and mother who navigated her own divorce with a newborn, this family dynamics podcast offers personal understanding and professional insight in every conversation. Raised in a traditional nuclear family but later thrust into a co-parenting reality, the host believes every story matters—because children don't choose divorce, yet they feel its ripples the most. Each episode features honest, vulnerable storytelling from people who lived through their parents' divorce. Some stories are painful. Some are healing and inspiring. All of them reveal what truly impacts a child when a family changes—and what helps them thrive. Unlike most parenting podcasts focused on legal advice or therapy perspectives, this show centers the lived experience of the children themselves, providing clarity for parents who want to make better, more thoughtful, child-centered decisions. Whether you're a parent, professional, or someone who lived it yourself, you'll find wisdom, compassion, and guidance in these conversations. Because understanding the child's perspective might just be the key to doing divorce better. If you or someone you know is contemplating divorce, or in the midst of it, these stories can change a child's life forever. To contribute your own story, please contact sdarrow@onward-mc.com directly. New episodes weekly.

  1. 4d ago

    38. Bella - 18 years old - When Your Parents Divorce at 18, It's Not Any Easier. It Still Sucks.

    Bella was a child of divorce — but not a young one. She was 18 or 19 when her parents' marriage ended, and in this episode she articulates beautifully something that gets almost no airtime in the divorce conversation: what happens when parents treat their adult children like confidants. The divorce came as a shock. Almost immediately, Bella was put in the middle. She became a bridge — the shuttle diplomat, the message-carrier, the one who knew things she shouldn't have known and had to hold them anyway. She quickly learned to suppress her own feelings and to stay "transparent" as a strategy for avoiding conflict — because either parent could react negatively to her plans, her opinions, or her ongoing relationship with the other. The boundaries she eventually tried to set were not well received. The cost was concrete: she didn't go to college. She went to work to help out. Her responsibilities shifted overnight, and the path she thought she was walking into as a new adult was replaced by one nobody had asked her to walk. Being "old enough" did not protect her from any of it — in some ways it made things harder, because everyone around her, including her parents, assumed she was fine. Even now, in her own adulthood with her own child, she is still managing the logistics of which grandparent gets to come to which birthday party. The middle didn't dissolve when she grew up. Bella also opens up about her own divorce and the ways her upbringing has shaped how she parents her daughter today — including her hard, conscious commitment to never put her daughter between adults or use her as a bridge, the way she once was. Toward the end, we touch briefly on the support group she co-founded with two friends called My Two Homes — a resource we'll explore in much more depth in a future episode with all three co-founders. What Bella and her friends are building is exactly the thing so many adult children of divorce wish had existed for them. Bella's book recommendation: Signs by Tara Swart. Find Bella and her co-founders: Instagram: @mytwohomes In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

  2. Sep 14

    37. *Expert Alert* Sol Kennedy Built the Co-Parenting Tool He Wished For. The BestInterest App!

    If you have ever "dreaded the ding" — that moment your phone lights up with a message from your ex and your whole nervous system braces — this conversation is for you. In this expert episode, we sit down with Sol Kennedy, founder of BestInterest, the AI-powered co-parenting app he built after living the very reality it now helps solve. Sol shares his own moment of realization — the middle-of-the-night notification that changed everything — and how a background in tech collided with a very personal need to create something no other co-parenting app has ever quite delivered. A few of the threads we pull on together, that you'll want to hear in his own words: Why the existing co-parenting apps often make things worse, not better — and what Sol built to solve the core problem instead of just recording it. The three features of BestInterest that made me sit up straight in my chair as he described them (and had me revisiting my own not-so-distant memory lane). Why "gray rocking" doesn't have to be a skill you spend years learning — and how the right tool can put you in a calmer, better-communicating place almost by default. The distinction Sol draws between a therapeutic mindset and a judicial one — and why the therapeutic path is the one that actually changes patterns over time. And the reason Sol chose the name BestInterest. (Hint: this app isn't really for co-parents.) Tune in for the whole conversation — plus a candid look at how Sol partnered with Dr. Ramani Durvasula early on to shape what BestInterest could become. Whether you're in a high-conflict co-parenting dynamic, trying to get out of one, or protecting your kids from the collateral damage of one, this episode is a must-listen. BestInterest is free to try at bestinterest.app. About Sol: Sol Kennedy is the founder of BestInterest, the AI-powered co-parenting app he built after navigating high-conflict co-parenting firsthand, and the host of the Coparenting Beyond Conflict podcast. BestInterest helps parents reduce exposure to harmful communication, respond more calmly, and keep important information organized — even when the other parent doesn't participate. Find Sol: Website: bestinterest.app Instagram: @bestinterest.app LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/solkennedy Substack: coparentingbeyondconflict.substack.com Podcast: bestinterest.app/coparenting-podcast In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

  3. Sep 7

    36. Jarrel - 12 years old - He Became Parent of His Siblings While His Parents Dragged Him To Court

    Jarrel was 12 or 13 when his parents divorced — on the heels of a new house, new neighborhood, new middle school, and none of his old friends. His significantly younger siblings meant that from day one he was cast as caretaker. The new house never quite felt like home. His father was angry, and the small things would ignite him. Doors slammed and Jarrel would freeze mid-thought: was that for me, or for mom? He witnessed one frightening incident — no one was harmed, but it created a quandary he'd carry for years: he loved his dad and was unsure of him at the same time. His grandparents' place down the street became his refuge. He now sees the proximity as planned protection. At 13, Jarrel was pulled into court. He and his siblings were brought by their grandparents and not told where they were going. He was interviewed more than once, peppered with questions by adults wanting his opinion on custody. He asked for 50/50 — because he thought it would keep things equal and not upset anyone. He didn't get it. What followed was over a decade of bouncing between homes, ongoing court battles, and both parents constantly poking him for information to use against the other. The case didn't fully close until his youngest brother turned 18. Through all of it, Jarrel became the one who managed everything around him — parenting his little brothers, avoiding conflict, holding it together. His grandpa's apartment was the one steady room in his life. Before graduation, when the weight from his parents became too much, he lived essentially between his grandpa's place and his car. His depression got dark. Grandpa was, in his own words, always a light. Years later, Jarrel learned things about his parents' own backgrounds that helped explain the behaviors he had lived through. He emerged extraordinarily adaptable, deeply self-aware, and open about the work — because talking about it makes it easier to grow. His goal now, plainly stated, is to be the best parent he can be, and to give his kids the relationship he didn't get. Jarrel's book recommendations: What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. About Jarrel: Jarrel C.T. Thomas is a technologist who moonlights as a freelance writer and aspiring poet, dedicated to sharing evocative stories and experiences about all aspects of life. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding, vinyl records, spending time with his wife and kids, and growing in his faith with God. Find Jarrel: Website: jarrelthomas.com Instagram: @jarrelct.thomas LinkedIn: jarrel-thomas A note on this episode: This conversation touches on parental conflict, family court, and periods of depression. If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out — in the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7. In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

  4. Aug 31

    35. Special Collab with Ashley Noelle - Founder of Blended Bond. I Love What This Woman is Doing

    This is a special collaborative episode of In Between Them, featuring Ashley Noelle — founder of Blended Bond. Two different angles on the same mission: helping parents do divorce better for the sake of their children. Ashley landed on Blended Bond by living every version of a blended family a person can live. She was raised in one. She married into one. She divorced. And she is now engaged, moving into a new blended family. Every stage of her life has been shaped by the reality of families joining, breaking apart, and rebuilding — which is precisely why she was uniquely positioned to notice a gap that almost nobody was filling. When Ashley and her fiancé were bringing their families together, she said something to him that changed the entire trajectory of both her personal life and her business: "Let's listen to them and see what they have to say." She wanted to know what they could bring forward that was similar between the two homes, what needed to change, and what they could create together from all of it. When she went looking for resources to help, there were none. That was 2023. So Ashley built what didn't exist. About a year ago, she launched Blended Bond — a conversation card game and resource designed to help blended families build stronger relationships through intentional, meaningful conversations. The idea is refreshingly simple, and that's exactly what makes it powerful. The cards do the work of asking the questions kids need to be asked and giving parents an easy way in to conversations that are often awkward, avoided, or overlooked entirely. Everyone gets a voice. Everyone gets a way to connect that should be natural but rarely is. In this episode, Ashley walks us through her own childhood inside a blended family and how that experience shaped the founder she became. She built her business from scratch. She has nailed something basic done so well — and In Between Them listeners will feel it immediately: this is exactly the tool so many of us wish had existed when we were the kids trying to make sense of a family being rebuilt around us. Community perk: use code INBETWEEN15 for 15% off any products at blendedbond.com. About Ashley: Ashley Noelle is the founder of Blended Bond, a conversation card game and resource created to help blended families build stronger relationships through intentional, meaningful conversations. Inspired by her own experience building a blended family, Ashley created Blended Bond to make the conversations that can sometimes feel hard a little easier to start. Find Ashley: Website: blendedbond.com Instagram: @theblendedbond TikTok: @playblendedbond Facebook: Blended Bond Podcast: The Blended Bond In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

  5. Aug 24

    34. Susannah B - 2 years old - I Never Knew My Parents Together So Nothing Is Wrong With Me

    Susannah B was two years old when her parents split, growing up in 1970s New York City inside a creative family: her mother was singer-songwriter Carol Hall, the composer of "Free to Be… You and Me," and her father was a professional photographer working the same downtown creative scene. She has no memories of her parents together. Both agreed to stay in the city so the children wouldn't have to move between worlds, and when her stepfather came into the picture around age 6, Susannah felt she had a trio of support — three adults who loved her, even if their working artist schedules didn't look like anyone else's parenting. For years, Susannah lived by a quiet mantra she now sees for what it was: "I don't remember my parents married, so there's nothing wrong with me." It was, she says honestly, a very effective way to pack the whole thing away and not deal with it. She used that framing for decades — and it worked, in the way things "work" when you don't examine them. Then she became a mom. And a wife. And suddenly, everything she had packed away for so long began to unpack itself — not painfully, but clearly. The dots connected. She names how much of her adult processing has come through the lens of parenting her own child inside a two-parent home. Being able to see, day after day, the small partnerships and everyday co-presence she didn't have growing up gave her something she calls an invaluable perspective. Not sorrow. Understanding. The other throughline of Susannah's life — and the one In Between Them listeners will feel deeply — is music as healing. She has done the work throughout her life and has been unafraid to be vulnerable in all facets: fostering a child, adoption, having her own child, and every artistic risk in between. Through her songwriting, she creates spaces for other people who are in the hard stages of their own lives — people looking for a light and a melody to bring clarity and hope where there hasn't been much of either. Her childhood and her life have prepared her to be exactly the artist who can hold those spaces for others. About Susannah: Susannah B is a New York-raised, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and actress whose music blends emotional honesty, soulful melodies, and modern storytelling. Her live work centers on her collaboration with The Lowkeys — Michael Farrell (keys), Sean Hurley (bass), David Levita (electric guitars), and Victor Indrizzo (drums) — whose collective credits include work with Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, Lizzo, Beck, Lana Del Rey, Brandi Carlile, Macy Gray, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill. Beyond music, Susannah leads songwriting workshops for at-risk youth and formerly incarcerated individuals, using creativity as a tool for healing and connection. Her message reaches more than 20,000 engaged women and music lovers. Find Susannah: Instagram: @susannahbmusic Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1CMiWstVqqDU4DAEmPpZVY In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

  6. Aug 17

    33. Leslie - 6 years old - She Became Protector, Saved Herself at 16 and Again With Her Own Divorce

    Leslie was six years old and living in Argentina when her parents divorced — inside a family already navigating heavy loss, including the recent death of her grandfather. In Argentina, therapy is deeply woven into the culture, so Leslie and her sisters were placed in therapy right away. That early exposure to psychological language has been one of the through-lines of her entire life. Her parents were high-conflict from the start of the split. Her father effectively forced her mother out of the apartment and didn't want to keep the girls, so they left together and her mother hustled to build a new home. Her father moved back in with his mother — Leslie's grandmother — as the family reeled from all the loss at once. Her dad wanted his own life. He would later say, in his own words, that he was selfish. He became what many adult children will instantly recognize as a "Disneyland Dad," while Leslie's mother handled all the real, hard, unglamorous work of parenting. Her parents cycled through reconciliations for years, and each time home life shifted with them. Their parenting styles clashed. Her father was involved intermittently but didn't help financially. When he did something truly unscrupulous while her mother was ill, that was the end. By the time Leslie was 12, they had cut ties for good — by then, the family was in America. From early on Leslie stepped into a parenting role because she saw the gaps and could not stop herself from filling them. Her mother didn't want her to, but Leslie became the protector of her younger sisters from what their mother was going through and what their household actually was. She knows now that none of it was her responsibility, but she couldn't help but take charge. Attachment theory would later explain much of it. She sacrificed her teenage years mothering her sisters, and she was also the only child who kept a relationship with her dad — carrying that connection for years despite pressure from her mother and sisters to cut him and her paternal grandmother off entirely. No matter what Leslie chose, someone made her feel guilty for it. She was constantly battling to just be herself. Her sisters, she felt, were being shaped by her mother's version of everything. In her later teens, things began to make sense. At 16, Leslie left her mother's house — a decision to save herself, which meant leaving her sisters to mature on their own. Her stepfather opened his home to her and, she says, saved her. He is her person. An ADHD diagnosis in her thirties helped even more pieces fall into place. Her relationship with her sisters was never what it could have been, and that is one of the quieter griefs she carries. In her own adult divorce, she discovered that parallel parenting — not co-parenting — was the only path to a healthy, stable, safe home for her daughter. It has been a journey, and she's navigating it beautifully. Leslie's book recommendations: It's Not You by Dr. Ramani Durvasula, Should I Stay or Should I Go by Dr. Ramani Durvasula, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

  7. Aug 10

    32. Steph - 3 years old - No Chaos, But a Disconnected Dad, Opened the Door to Blessings & Gratitude

    Steph Clymer was three or four when her parents divorced — an only child with very few clear memories of the before, which she now considers something of a blessing. She had no intact family to mourn. In this conversation, Steph offers a perspective that is rare on In Between Them: a story of a childhood divorce that landed softly, and a life that has flourished around it. Her arrangement was refreshingly flexible — no court-ordered schedule, life just shifted a lot. Maybe, she says, that's why she's so good with change today. Her relationship with her father was more casual than parental — he was, in her own words, less parent and more buddy. He "didn't know what to do" or "wasn't comfortable knowing what to do with a daughter." Maybe true, she admits, or maybe what she told herself. With her mother, though, she was deeply bonded. Her mom worked a lot, and Steph credits that dynamic with teaching her the work-life balance she carries into her own motherhood today. Mom did remarry — a roller coaster of a shift with a new stepdad and an older stepsister — but because Steph's dad wasn't actively involved, life didn't get pulled in competing directions the way blended-family life often does. It became one new family, not two competing ones. Steph never looked at her stepdad as a dad — and she owns that. She was always going to be loyal to her mother, aware of it, and never fully accepted the her stepdad in a close way. She is deeply grateful that her dad had the wisdom not to fight her mom. That single choice, she says, kept the chaos out of her childhood. Now at 45, she sees the divorce as a chapter that ended, not something that stretches into her present. She can't fully relate to friends navigating divorce and co-parenting today, because she genuinely did not live the version of it most people do. Being a mother now has reframed the whole thing. Steph reflects on what her mom must have gone through parenting alone — no partner to bounce the mundane and the big things off of — and how obvious the absence of that becomes when you have it yourself. She names her husband's parenting partnership as the thing she now most clearly sees her own mother went without. When her father passed, she felt the loss less than most would; they had never truly connected as father and daughter. What she has built is a life defined by gratitude, positivity, and the drive to find blessings and opportunities where they exist. Steph frames her story as an overcoming story, not a victim story — and she is determined to keep living it that way. Steph's book recommendations: You Squared by Price Pritchett and 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Benjamin Hardy. About Steph: Steph Clymer is a mom of three living in Newport, CA. She loves to run, spend time outside, and is blessed to run two businesses. Find Steph: Websites: shopcommonthread.com and shopfridayfeelin.com Social: @shopgirlsteph In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

  8. Aug 3

    31. *Expert Alert* Lisa Zeiderman NY Divorce Atty - Do Divorce Better, Hello Prenup & Savvy Ladies

    In this expert episode, I sit down with Lisa Zeiderman — Managing Partner at Miller Zeiderman LLP, matrimonial attorney, CFL, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst — for a conversation about what most parents miss when going through a divorce, and, more importantly, all the ways divorce can be done better. There are choices at every step — before, during, and after — that meaningfully change the outcome for the kids, the parents, and every future relationship inside the family. Lisa's core message is one of the most important things any divorcing parent can hear: they think they know what their kids are thinking and feeling — and so often, they don't. Kids get read wrong constantly. Her mission, in her own words, is to keep kids out of the line of fire as much as possible. She discusses how disparagement is a lack of good judgment. When one parent trash-talks the other in front of a child, they aren't just being petty — they're compromising their own long-term relationship with that child. Kids can't find community the way adults can. Adults leaving a marriage find friends, therapists, whole networks of people who get it. Kids have almost none of that in their peer world — and Lisa believes this is one of the most under-discussed realities of childhood divorce. Prenups are the "seasonal business" she never saw coming. Lisa is watching a wave of younger couples proactively draft prenups — not out of cynicism, but out of clarity. Many are children of divorce themselves who refuse to repeat what they lived. HelloPrenup, where Lisa sits on the Strategic Advisory Board, has made the process affordable and accessible. It gets couples talking about finances before marriage — one of the most powerful ways to do the eventual work of any marriage better. Her deepest passion: Savvy Ladies. Lisa serves as Board Chair of Savvy Ladies, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women build financial awareness and control so they are never left in the lurch or blindsided by the financial realities of a marriage. The Savvy Ladies app — built with NASDAQ and Salesforce — and its accessible Help Line are extraordinary resources. About Lisa: Lisa Zeiderman is Managing Partner at Miller Zeiderman LLP in New York. She handles litigation, complex financial and custody matters, and pre- and post-nuptial agreements. She authors the "Legal Matters" blog on Psychology Today and co-hosts the Savvy Ladies podcast "The Power of the Ask." Lisa chairs Savvy Ladies and sits on the board of Family Legal Care. Find Lisa: Website & blog: lisazeiderman.com Savvy Ladies: savvyladies.org HelloPrenup: helloprenup.com In Between Them is a podcast about what it really feels like to grow up between two homes — hosted by Shannon Darrow, divorce coach and mediator, 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. 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.

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About

Divorce shapes childhood in ways parents often can't see—especially when they're in the middle of an emotional fog, fear, or in survival mode. In Between Them is a parenting podcast that brings forward the voices we rarely hear: the children of divorce, now grown, reflecting on the experiences that shaped them. Hosted by an entrepreneur and mother who navigated her own divorce with a newborn, this family dynamics podcast offers personal understanding and professional insight in every conversation. Raised in a traditional nuclear family but later thrust into a co-parenting reality, the host believes every story matters—because children don't choose divorce, yet they feel its ripples the most. Each episode features honest, vulnerable storytelling from people who lived through their parents' divorce. Some stories are painful. Some are healing and inspiring. All of them reveal what truly impacts a child when a family changes—and what helps them thrive. Unlike most parenting podcasts focused on legal advice or therapy perspectives, this show centers the lived experience of the children themselves, providing clarity for parents who want to make better, more thoughtful, child-centered decisions. Whether you're a parent, professional, or someone who lived it yourself, you'll find wisdom, compassion, and guidance in these conversations. Because understanding the child's perspective might just be the key to doing divorce better. If you or someone you know is contemplating divorce, or in the midst of it, these stories can change a child's life forever. To contribute your own story, please contact sdarrow@onward-mc.com directly. New episodes weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Shannon Darrow
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Shannon Darrow