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Blended Families Articles
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- Blended Family Wedding Vows! - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Jody MaleyWe went to a beautiful wedding a few weeks ago for a couple we have been friends with for quite awhile. My girlfriend had two children from a previous marriage (one boy, one girl) & had told us to feel free to bring our own children if we came. This was a nice change for us since we have six ...
Views: 7107(1 vote) - Stepfamilies: The Difficult Ex and the Issue of Badmouthing - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2009 from Joan SarinThe “difficult ex” - I think every divorced couple goes through at least a stage of complaining about this. I hear it in nearly every couple I work with, and I had my share of this pain too. It seemed to me for years that my husband’s ex-wife looked right through me as if I didn’t exist, and ...
Views: 1811(1 vote) - ***Managing Your Stepfamily - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2009 from Garrett CoanIf you are a member of a stepfamily, you know how difficult it can be to integrate all of the new members and adjust to the new boundaries and rules. The following ideas may help you make a successful transition during this challenging process. Have patience. Establishing new families takes ...
Views: 1062(4 votes) - Throw Out Those OLD TAPES! - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2009 from Dan and Rebecca SnellTHROW OUT THOSE OLD TAPES, OLD STORIES, OLD MESSAGES! God doesn't make mistakes. YOU are not a mistake. Ask God to renew you. The past is past. Tomorrow is a fresh start! It's God's promise that His grace and mercy are new every morning! SCRIPTURE ASSURES US... 'Yet this I call to ...
Views: 1366(3 votes) - Getting Along with Family - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2009 from Deborah HillFamily members are often our greatest and most difficult ongoing teachers. A reader of my blog "Getting Along with Difficult People" (www.theawarenessinitiative.com/blog) asked how to get along with family members. I can't say that I've mastered the family conumdrum. In fact, I believe that ...
Views: 5678(3 votes) - It Takes Two to Tango - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2009 from Diana Weiss-WisdomDear Dr. Weiss-Wisdom, I’m so discouraged with my marriage that I almost don’t care anymore. I stayed in my first marriage because of the kids and now I’m remarried and doing the same thing again. I have two teenagers from my first marriage and a five year old now with my second wife. It’s ...
Views: 1499(6 votes) - Stepfamily Activity #2 - Make a Book to Illustrate - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2009 from Evelyn FieldingBeing a step-parent is a daunting task, even when you get along with the kids. My stepdaughters live three hours away from me and visit every other weekend, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from being part of their lives! I sat down with them and we brainstormed 99 ways we could keep in ...
Views: 1280 - Summer and Your Stepfamily - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2009 from Angie BlackwellStepfamilies are like snowflakes, no two are exactly the same. My stepkids live with me full time, but that isn't the case for many step-mothers. Many of you are probably spending a lot more time with your stepkids than you are used to doing. This post is dedicated to those of you that might ...
Views: 1736(3 votes) - The Oil of Life - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2009 from Gerald AnthonyOne day while taking a visit to the grocery store, I heard a customer in front of me say, “????? (phonetic- yo may yo yo? Pinyin- you mei you you?)” As I waited in line, I watched as the cashier understood this complex logic of using the same words of pronunciation to form a question and also ...
Views: 1613(3 votes) - And Baby Makes... - by Submitted on Jun 29, 2009 from Rebecca EvansEvery family is blended. Even when all the members are biologically linked, the addition of any new member requires special attention. And though new additions are mostly exciting times, blending can be an experience rich in mixed emotions, with joy and stress being at the top of the ...
Views: 1305 - Men and Depression - by Submitted on Jun 11, 2009 from Diana Weiss-WisdomDear Dr. Weiss-Wisdom, My thirty-two year old stepson has hit some hard times and has had to move in with us. He lost his job, lost his condo in foreclosure, and his girlfriend broke up with him. I’m very worried about him, but my husband thinks he has to just tough it out. My stepson stays ...
Views: 1375(1 vote) - Electronic Free Activities For Families That Build Social Skills - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2009 from Judy WrightIf you are like most parents, grandparents, teachers today, you probably think that children are watching way too much television today. Not only are they sitting on their rear ends inside, when you can get them outside, they are playing video games on their cell-phones or other electronics. ...
Views: 1727(3 votes) - Families of the 21st Century - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2009 from Angie BlackwellFamilies of the 21st Century come in all shapes and sizes. Divorce, remarriage, parenting out-of-wedlock and a host of other variables have turned nuclear families into the exception rather than the norm. As little as a half-century ago, children were typically raised in homes with two ...
Views: 20700(5 votes) - The Cure for Walking on Egg Shells - by Submitted on Apr 24, 2009 from Terri BrittI was astonished recently to discover that my 15-year-old daughter is struggling more than I had thought with living in our new home. I got re-married last summer and my daughter Kolbi had seemed to be adjusting very well. She’s always smiling and cutting up with my new hubby, Charlie, and me. ...
Views: 1673(3 votes) - The Birds, the Bees, and Blended Families - by Submitted on Mar 20, 2009 from Diana Weiss-WisdomDear Dr. Weiss-Wisdom, I’m living with my boyfriend who has two kids under eleven years old. What do I do if I don’t like his kids? They are lazy and watch a lot of T.V.-even during the daytime. They don’t pick up after themselves or have any chores. I feel like I’m the maid! When I talk ...
Views: 1599(1 vote) - What to Do When Your Stepkids Disrespect You, Part 2 - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2009 from James LehmanThis is part 2 of a two-part series by James Lehman, MSW on Blended Families. In this article, James discusses the importance of respectful behavior in a blended family, and how parents can achieve this from all the children in the family. Over the years, many parents in blended families have ...
Views: 2792(5 votes) - Stepfamily Activity #66: Word of the Week - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2009 from Evelyn FieldingBeing a stepparent is a daunting task, even when you get along with the kids. My stepdaughters live three hours away from me and visit every other weekend, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from being part of their lives! I sat down with them and we brainstormed 99 ways we could keep in ...
Views: 1627 - Stepfamily Activity #1: Think of 30 Things You Have in Common - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2009 from Evelyn FieldingBeing a step-parent is a daunting task, even when you get along with the kids. My stepdaughters live three hours away from me and visit every other weekend, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from being part of their lives! I sat down with them and we brainstormed 99 ways we could keep in ...
Views: 1446(1 vote) - “My Blended Family Won’t Blend--Help!” Part I - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2009 from James Lehman“I don’t know what to do anymore,” said Jill, stepmother to two teen girls and mom to one biological son, aged 10. “My stepdaughters don’t respect me—I’m the ‘evil stepmother’ to them—and pretty much ignore whatever I say. And my son is constantly telling me that my husband isn’t fair, and that ...
Views: 1817(3 votes) - For Stepmothers: Tough Lesson About Expectations - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2009 from Susan WisdomYears ago, I married into a stepfamily My husband had full time custody of his kids and a demanding career, so guess who had the job of raising the kids! Cathy was almost 8 and WILLFUL. Naïve and full of expectations, I looked forward to buying her sweet, feminine dresses and doing girl ...
Views: 1127 - A New Stepmom and Stepdaughter Find Healing for the Holidays - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2009 from Joan SarinSuzanne is the apple of her dad’s eye - 22, a beautiful, bright and successful architecture student who recently completed study in Europe for six months. Her parents’ divorce had been finalized shortly before she left, and she was dealing with it well - after all, she had a great ...
Views: 2521 - Five Steps Forward, Not Looking Back - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2009 from Ron DealFamily life is full of challenges and rewards. Stepfamily life is no different. Sarah knows just what I mean: “My first marriage to John was a battle from the day it started. I wanted romance and an intimate union; he wanted independence and freedom. He finally found it with another woman. ...
Views: 1128 - Cooperative Co-Parenting - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2009 from Ron DealBlended families are often torn apart by between-home conflicts while children are caught in the middle of warring parents. Strengthen your blended family by improving your co-parenting relationship. The goal of co-parenting (at a minimum) is to contain the anger and conflict expressed between ...
Views: 2653(2 votes) - How to Cook a Blended Family - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2009 from Ron DealWhether you realize it or not, you have a set of assumptions about how to cook your blended family. By that, I mean your approach to how your stepfamily ‘ought’ to come together. Brenda was cooking her family with a blender. “It happened again the other night,” she began. “My 14 ...
Views: 2066 - The Birds, The Bees, And Blended Families - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2008 from Diana Weiss-WisdomHow Can I Forgive him? On Blended Families Dear Dr. Weiss-Wisdom, My marriage of eighteen years ended three years ago because my husband had an affair with another woman. At first, I tried to forgive him and work the marriage out because we have a daughter together. But he lied again and I ...
Views: 1080 - What Parents Can Learn From Puppies - by Submitted on Oct 05, 2008 from Emily BouchardWhy is it that new puppy owners won't hesitate to sign up for obedience training? They know that it is the easiest and best way to get rid of unwanted behaviors and to establish clear rules and boundaries with their puppy. They attend classes or hire a trainer to learn techniques to make life ...
Views: 803 - Don't Like Your Step Kids? - by Submitted on Oct 05, 2008 from Emily BouchardOne challenge that many step parents face but few will admit is that they do not like one or more of their stepchildren. They love their partner, they love their kids, and they find themselves particularly challenged by the behaviors of their step kids. When a stepmom presents this problem to ...
Views: 2225 - Blended Families Can Use Erasers - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2008 from Dan and Rebecca SnellRIGHT NOW...CLOSE YOUR EYES FOR A MOMENT... PICTURE YOUR CHILDHOOD PAPERMATE 'PINK PEARL' ERASER... THAT SPECIAL SCENT IT HAD...EVEN HOW IT TASTED UPON NIBBLING... AND HOW MUCH YOU USED IT TO FIND YOUR 'FRESH START'. The famous childhood pink eraser. Yes ! We all know it well. Throughout ...
Views: 1269 - How Stepchildren Are Like Concrete Slabs - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2009 from Evelyn FieldingHow Stepchildren Are Like Concrete Slabs Imagine that you came home from work one day and discovered your spouse had poured a 20x30 concrete slab in the front yard. One corner of this slab sticks into the driveway; another corner took out a few hostas. And it’s a quadrilateral, not a ...
Views: 1454 - Blended Families Can Be Successful - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2007 from Judy WrightMany families today are blending members from past relationships. It would be easy to give up when faced with all the conflicting methods of parenting and discipline that come to a family who has joined forces together. As I was doing research for a recent book, I interviewed a young counselor ...
Views: 1042(2 votes) - Loving A Stepchild - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2007 from Judy WrightLoving your step- child can be both simple and hard. It is not enough for parents, step parents and extended family to feel a deep glow of love for the children in your circle of influence. You must convey that feeling into a message that is heard, felt and integrated by the child. Children ...
Views: 2304(2 votes) - Sex in the Remarriage - The Most Important Ingredient for a Strong Step Family - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2007 from Alyssa JohnsonIn first marriages, the old saying is to put a bean in a jar every time you make love during the first year. For every year thereafter, take one out every time you make love. By the end of your marriage, it is said that the jar will finally be empty. It's a nice wives tale, but not necessarily ...
Views: 1940 - Step Families & Remarriage - More Great Ways to Ruin a Step Family - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2007 from Alyssa JohnsonStep families are the fastest growing family in America. While that may be the case, there is a lot of confusion about how they function and what they look like. This confusion, unfortunately, leads to anger and heartbreak as these new families quickly realize just how hard it is to be a step ...
Views: 1555 - Step Families & Remarriage - Great Ways to Ruin a Step Family - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2007 from Alyssa JohnsonStep families are hard. Anyone who says different doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Unfortunately the Brady Bunch just isn’t a reality. Those kids didn’t have two homes they were going back and forth to. They didn’t have parents who were trying to co-parent with an ex-spouse. And ...
Views: 2906 - National Stepfamily Day - A Recognition of Family - by According to the Stepfamily Association of America, 1 out of 3 Americans is a stepparent, stepchild, or other member of a stepfamily.
With approximately 1300 new stepfamilies being formed every day in the U.S. and the prediction that by 2010 there will be more stepfamilies in the U.S. than any ...
Views: 1006 - BUILDING TRUST AND ACCEPTANCE WITH STEPCHILDREN - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2007 from Dr. Waln BrownBUILDING TRUST AND ACCEPTANCE WITH STEPCHILDREN By Waln K. Brown, Ph.D. William Gladden Foundation If you are having trouble building a relationship with your stepchildren, do not despair. You are not alone. Nearly 50% of all families in the United States are stepfamilies. Many of these ...
Views: 3068(2 votes) - STEPPARENTS: THE MARRIAGE - by How often have we witnessed -- or been part of -- a
situation where one parent hollers to the other, "you ALWAYS
do that and I'm sick of it!" Probably quite frequently. How
often have you seen it lead to a quiet, mature discussion of
the problem? Not very often.
For a stepparent, a ...
Views: 1284 - A New National Holiday: Stepparents Day - by A New National Holiday: Stepparents Day
By Beth Bruno © 2001
There are millions of unsung heroes and heroines in our midst, men and women who deserve recognition but get a bum rap instead. Who are they? They are people like me.
When I met the man I eventually married, he brought two ...
Views: 5697 - HIS KIDS: BECOMING A W.O.W. STEPMOTHER - by A stepparent's role is not that of a biological parent, but of a real parent nonetheless. WOWs (Wives Of Widowers) should not be quick to replace the late wife as a mother, but to become to the child the closest thing to a mother he or she has got. The WOW who loves her husband accepts that his ...
Views: 13160(1 vote) - Stepbrothers Teach Their Parents - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2005 from Gary DirenfeldStepbrothers Teach Their Parents Andy and Daniel were both 9 years old. Both lived with their respective mothers. Both had time together with their fathers although Daniel’s time with his father was more irregular. Daniel’s mother met Andy’s father. They courted for several years during which ...
Views: 943 - Navigating Parenting Differences - by Submitted on Mar 24, 2004 from Emily BouchardNavigating Significant Parenting Differences A significant difference in parenting styles is one of the most difficult aspects of blending a family. Each adult arrives in the partnership with their background, their experiences, and all the beliefs they have associated with being a parent. ...
Views: 2373(3 votes) - Smoothing the Step-Parenting Transition - by Three years ago, when John and Julie Smith fell in love and decided to marry they wanted to know what they could do to ease the transition of their marriage on their children. Each had 2 biological children of their own, ranging in age from 8 to 16 and John and Julie knew that getting the ...
Views: 1230(1 vote)
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