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 last year, many of you have expressed interest in the questions raised while stepparenting a child who has lost a parent. I have appreciated and really benefited from your support and your comments.
Now, in addition to browsing this blog, you can download a free audio preview to my Stepparenting the Grieving Child book. Enjoy a sample of the conversation I had with talk-show host Barbara Bue at KRFC radio in Colorado by clicking here. The full audio interview touches on many insights about stepparenting when a parent has died. You’ll take in some characteristics of a stepparent’s transition from fantasy to reality, as well as perspectives on the role of the surviving parent and the rhythms of stepfamily living. None of the books I’ve found on the market today focus in on the needs of stepparents in this particular situation, so I would love feedback on what you find valuable about this material.
A technical sidenote: Internet Explorer is the most reliable browser by which to download the audio samples. I will write up another post this week with commentary on navigating Mozilla Firefox, which poses a few additional challenges in downloading.
And now, for something totally different….
HUMOR FOR DIVORCED DADS
I received a comment on my blog from Joel Schwartzberg, who has written The 40-Year-Old Version: A Humoirs of a Divorced Dad. Joel says, “To my delight, the book has been extremely well received by stepmother writers and bloggers including Izzy Rose, Wednesday Martin, Jennifer Newcomb Marine, and Jacqueline Fletcher. Many consider it an entertaining and uniquely meaningful holiday gift for a remarried dad.” We all know someone who can benefit from the lighter side of family dynamics…check out Joel’s website to learn more about the author and his book.
CHRISTIAN INSPIRATION FOR STEPMOMS
Pastor and Successful Stepfamily founder Ron Deal has published a new book with co-author Laura Petherbridge, The Smart Stepmom. This book is a follow-on to Ron’s earlier book, The Smart Stepfamily.
NEW COACHING RESOURCE FOR STEPMOMS
The author of A Career Girl’s Guide to Becoming a Stepmom, Jacqueline Fletcher, is offering personalized coaching for stepmoms. Jacque says, “I have developed my own brand of coaching that is based on support, education, and inspiration. I loosely follow the Co-Active Coaching model created by the Coaches Training Institute with a dash of the Positive Psychology methods developed by Dr. Barbara Frederickson. Then I throw in research-based information mixed with the kitchen-table wisdom I’ve gathered from my interviews over the last six years.”
Mama J is a writer, parent, and stepparent based in Northern Colorado. Sample her work at www.dianefromme.com.
Tags: Add new tag, Christian inspiration, death, divorce, family resources, Grief, grieving, holidays, stepfamilies, stepfamily development