Blended Families
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Signs of a Successful Blended Family
1-You and your spouse have clear house rules that apply to all family members Yes, this means that house rules don’t change when you are tired, or your spouse is out of town. Both biological children and stepchildren all follow the same rules. It really does help when the parents also follow the same rules.
Even Step parents Need Time for Themselves
When you remarried and became a step parent you probably didn't realize how hard it would be to be a parent to a child that was not your own. It's tough- really tough,and you rarely receive any praise or thanks. You want to keep your spouse happy, their kids happy, your kids happy (if you have some biological kids) and usually anyone else that comes within 3 feet of you happy.
5 Golden Rules for Grandparents in a Blended Family
You and your new spouse have married and blended your two families. Your parents are happy for you but unsure how to treat this new additions to the family. Here's a few golden rules to help them figure out how to respond to your newly blended family: 1- Treat every child the samer Treat your step grandkids as if they were all your biological grandchildren. They are waiting and watching to see if you will be fair to all.
Some Blended Families Just Don't Get Along
Two adults marry and bring children into the new marriage. Some of these families get along wonderfully, and some families, who have been blended for years never accept each other as family. Here are some reasons a blended family may stay incompatible and not blend. The couple has children over 21: It’s possible that the family doesn’t “blend” because the children have moved out on their own and are starting their own families. That’s O.K., as long as there is respect for the new stepparent, as their parent’s spouse.
Top Ten Rules for Divorced Parents
1-All contact should be kept to a minimum One phone call a day is excessive, several text messages a day is extremely excessive. If you have a subject related to the kids- speak briefly and clearly about your expectations. Emails are better than phone calls, if your issue is not an emergency. 2- Contact ex only when it related to the kidsr You no longer have a relationship with this person, except that he or she is the other parent of your children. Your only relationship is one of co-parenting.
How to Cook a Blended Family
Whether 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 ...
Cooperative Co-Parenting
Blended 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 ...
Five Steps Forward, Not Looking Back
Family 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. ...
Grandparents and Stepchildren: Getting That “Something Special”
“What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, and lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.” ~Rudolph Giuliani “The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.” ~Sam Levenson “Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild”. ~Welsh Proverb
Tough Love - Stop Blaming Marriage
Okay I’m going to sound a bit like your mother today . . . because I’m ranting! But here goes: Here are the facts: the divorce rate is down, but so is the marriage rate. We’re still having babies. We are up to nearly 41% statistically, of children born to unwed mothers today. Less divorces, less marriages, lots of single parent households. Let’s face it, we are not afraid to have a family . . .we have become a nation afraid to get married!
Resolve to Improve Your Family in 2012
Studies are showing that with today's economic environment, people have been working so hard, that putting food on the table has been more important than nurturing their relationships.