Mama J on January 7th, 2010

Happy 2010 to all! I don’t always do New Year’s resolutions but a firm one I have this year is to publish Stepparenting the Grieving Child in book form. Check out the preview audio to this book here at my website. This material is still the only dedicated resource for stepparents living with children whose [...]

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Mama J on November 4th, 2009

I am just so excited to report that I’ve just recorded the Stepparenting the Grieving Child audio with interviewer Barbara Bue of KRFC Radio.  Barb herself is a stepparent and was intensely interested in my information, which makes both sides of the interview commentary very engaging.
You can expect to hear about three distinct phases of [...]

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Mama J on October 14th, 2009

In doing research for one of my writing projects, I became inspired by this quote:

“The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.” — Viktor Frankl, Austrian psychotherapist, author, and Holocaust survivor

These powerful words remind us that every day we are in charge of our attitudes and behaviors.  I think [...]

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Mama J on September 9th, 2009

I’d like to join the National Stepfamily Resource Center’s effort to raise your awareness of a special holiday:  the thirteenth annual National Stepfamily Day (NSFD) on Sept. 16, 2009. When reflecting on the purpose of National Stepfamily Day, founder Christy Borgeld says: 
 ”Our nation has been blessed by thousands upon thousands of loving stepparents and stepchildren who [...]

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Mama J on June 30th, 2009

Your turn!  The purpose of today’s post is to ask your opinions about how stepparents and schools can work together to strengthen the school-to-home connection.  (Yes, I’m looking ahead to fall…or some of you may have kids who go to school year round.) 
You do not need to be registered on the blog to post a [...]

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Mama J on May 27th, 2009

Sometimes I have a wake-up moment that reminds me of the instinct a mom has for her young.  At the same time, I can’t help but compare this instinct to the ways I’ve parented my stepchildren. Neither approach is right or wrong - it’s just different.
After I dropped my daughter off at last Saturday’s sleepover [...]

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Mama J on May 20th, 2009

Over the weekend I blogged about how day trips can give me a new family perspective, and how much I enjoy that fresh approach.
I want to apply the same idea to stepparenting.  I often find I am sorely in need of another perspective, sometimes when I least expect it.  This happened a few weeks after my stepson [...]

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Mama J on April 15th, 2009

After all that blogging about anger, I thought that bringing in a little bit of a “spring is blossoming” feeling here on the blog might brighten up the mood. 
I want to share some things I actually like about being a stepparent.  I compose these “nine things” lists (instead of ten things) just to be different, [...]

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Mama J on April 8th, 2009

Last Wednesday I blogged about anger, and the very same day another of my stepparent colleagues also blogged about stepparent anger.  Are we affected by the upcoming full moon, or is this a recurring theme families need to pay attention to?  What do you think? 
I’ve been focusing on ways I can “come down” from feeling angry [...]

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Mama J on April 1st, 2009

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.   -Ambrose Bierce 
There are three cardinal rules I have to follow when I feel angry at a member of my stepfamily.  I’m writing about this because I have blown it before.  No real good comes out of a screaming match [...]

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