I am so thrilled today to share with you that my audio preview is live and ready for your prime time listenership! This is the first dedicated resource I know of for stepparents coming into a family where a parent has died. In today’s post I also inform you about a few other stepparenting and family resources.
For the [...]
I am running a slightly edited version of yesterday’s post for the Wednesday stepparenting blog because I think the theme of “hosting a stranger” also applies to stepfamilies. Your partner’s kids are your brave new frontier. Will you to rise to the challenge?
One of my loves is to coordinate international exchange students. I match students [...]
You might think that this post relates to the stepparent being new in the family. Instead, I thought I’d focus today on the new kid you and your spouse might bring into town: your baby. While your stepfamily may arrive at some household decisions together as a family, having a baby is an adult decision.
My [...]
One way to be involved with your kids is to become involved with an
activity they are passionate about. This doesn’t mean that you
actually do the activity with them (although you could). What I’m
talking about in this post is volunteering with an organization your
child is a part of.
This comment connects directly with a book discussion group [...]
One parent asked me to comment on how to help a teen fill the “what
will I do for fun” void she perceives when trying to move away from
drugs and alcohol as a means of escape.
This is a tough one, but you have a jump start if your daughter is
showing some willingness to change. If she’s [...]
Life appears to be too short to be spent in nursing animosity or
registering wrong.
– Charlotte Bronte
I have been struggling with what I perceive as a phase in the
relationship with one of my stepchildren. I’ve been feeling rejected, as
if I’m not a person of any significance in this child’s life.
Then I read and was inspired by [...]
It’s almost Thanksgiving Day again in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Messages
with cartoon turkeys and horns of plenty are crossing my computer
screen. The stores display sections of brown, orange, and zucchini
green criss-crossing the reds and greens of Christmas (can’t we do one
holiday at a time? But, I digress….)
The question that will be asked of [...]
Your Turn: Where do you turn when stepfamily dynamics have you in
a mood?
“…this angst brings me to what I call my ’swing point:’ the point at
which my thoughts and feelings cross to the dark side.”
As much as I try to stay positive, every once in a while I go into a bit
of a funk about [...]
Today I want to share with you two great resources to aid your
parenting or stepparenting efforts.
First, check out this organization I’ve just learned about called
The Mother Daughter Project: a community of women and girls
dedicated to discovering and sharing ways mothers and daughters can
stay close and thrive together through adolescence and beyond. The
small group settings recommended [...]
Continue reading about Great Resources for Parents and Stepparents
A friend of mine and I were confiding in each other about what is apparently a bit of a taboo subject. We were discussing the ever-so-subtle differences in the love we feel for our children and the love we feel for our stepchildren or adopted children. We are blessed to have both kinds of relationships [...]
Continue reading about Which Love do I Feel for my Stepchildren?