About Episode: In this Episode of spirit & Spice, we explore the tension between compassion and truth in conversations around single parenting. Our conversation acknowledges: • The stigma single parents face (especially women in Nigeria), • The realities of widowhood, abandonment, divorce, abuse, and unintended pregnancy, • The societal pressure on unmarried women approaching their late 30s, • And the growing normalization of intentionally choosing single parenthood. This episode emphasizes that: • Single parents deserve dignity, support, and community, • God redeems difficult situations, • But redemption is not the same as design. Our conversation is compassionate, nuanced, reflective, and not condemnatory. Chapters: 00:00 Episode Preview 00:53 Welcome to Spirit & Spice 01:03 Why This Episode Exists 01:55 Why Are We Even Talking About This? 03:44 Single Parenting Is Someone’s Everyday Reality 04:45 Most Times, It Wasn’t the Plan 05:17 How to Honour Single Parents 05:25 What Single Parenting Actually Demands 05:56 Mary, Mother of Jesus - A Single Parent We Overlook 06:27 Single Parents Deserve More Honour Than We Give 06:59 Debunking the Myth: Single Parents Can’t Raise Whole Children 07:11 Timothy, His Mother & His Grandmother - Two Women, One Man of God 08:27 Baby Mama Culture & the Sperm Donor Narrative 09:22 Is Baby Mama Culture About Feminism - or Patriarchy? 10:08 The Amazon Woman & the Sperm Donor: A Cultural Breakdown 10:27 The Future Is Whole - We Need Men for More Than Biology 10:38 The Pressure on Women: Biology, Culture & the Ticking Clock 10:58 When the Clock Becomes Louder Than Wisdom 11:58 Societal Pressure & How It Creates Single Parent Situations 12:16 Playing God: When Choice, Not Circumstance, Breaks the Design 13:42 The Surrogate Mother Culture 14:34 Asking the Hard Why’s Behind These Decisions 15:44 A Child Cannot Fill the Void in Your Heart 17:12 What Parenting Actually Is - and What It Is Not 17:53 God’s Original Design for the Family 19:07 Abraham, Hagar & Sarah - Even Disruption Didn’t Change God’s Design 20:15 What Does This Mean for Children Outside That Design? 20:56 A Word for Anyone Who Has Been in Hagar’s Shoes 21:58 Encouragement for Every Single Parent Listening 22:33 The Real Benefits of a Two-Parent Household 23:19 What a Father & a Mother Each Bring to a Child’s Life 25:52 The Answer to Single Parenting: Community 29:23 Dear Single Parent - If You Want More, There Is Still Hope 30:01 Until Next Time About Spirit and Spice: Spirit and Spice explores friendship, culture, and everyday life through honest, engaging conversations. Built on the dynamic between two best friends, the podcast offers real, relatable discussions on modern life and relationships, blending humour with depth. It’s designed to support women’s growth and offer insight that helps men better understand them, creating space for reflection, growth, and connection. 🔗Links: Follow Spirit & Spice on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ifeyinwanwaoyo?igsh=MWxyOWFqZDkwa2JzMQ== Subscribe to Spirit & Spice on YOUTUBE : https://youtube.com/@spiritandspicepod?si=RaS7_khKL-s3lP2Q Follow Spirit & Spice on TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@spiritandspicepod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Follow Spirit & Spice on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Dv3qaU6hxsaMn3TPjQRxl?si=T_uLNu6VQ6yx1hgVOzIMQA Follow Spirit & Spice on APPLE PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/spirit-and-spice-pod/id1889886599 Follow Bisola Badejo on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bisolabadejo?igsh=MjZjN2lycDc2N21q Follow Bisola Badejo on TWITTER: https://x.com/bisolabadejo?s=21 Follow Bisola Badejo on Substack: https://substack.com/@bisolabadejo?r=2420uf&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=stories&shareImageVariant=blur Follow Ifeyinwa Nwaoyo on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ifeyinwanwaoyo?igsh=MWxyOWFqZDkwa2JzMQ==
