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Transitions are normal in a blended family As a step parent in a blended family, you may wonder how your own children and your step kids feel about transitioning between two homes, especially during school vacations. Navigating the life changes inherent in having to...

Tone important in blended family communication How blended family conflicts or behavioral issues are addressed has a direct impact on how readily family members are willing to take the steps needed to reach a solution to the problem at hand. As step family leaders,...

When getting it off your chest and talk to your blended family is sometimes a bad idea Blended Family communication is not always helpful. Various self-help advisors counsel that being direct and honest about our feelings is a good way to get our needs met. This is...

New blended family step parents have a lot on their plates when you consider they must learn to balance their regular lives with a new love, a new relationship, new living arrangements, and new step children.  Turning this set of new experiences into a cohesive...

The state of your marriage is the state of your blended family Creating a satisfying marriage is not exactly easy, but it’s not impossible, either.  There are certain traits most successful couples have in common, certain skills that help cement their partnership...

Anger is a feeling, not an action How many times have you reminded your children that being angry does not make it okay to hit, to throw things, or otherwise act out? As parents, we remind our kids that anger is just a feeling, an uncomfortable and unhappy feeling,...

Blended family conflicts are to be expected It goes without saying that a blended family will have its share of step family conflict. Conflict is part and parcel of families that are a blending of divergent people with different experiences, family rules and...

Blended family household rules and behavioral boundaries As parents, we want our kids to learn self-discipline, self-reliance and self-motivation; these important life skills can help them be successful throughout their entire lives. As parents in a blended family, we...

Etiquette for dealing with your ex-spouse Some blended family parents post notes on the refrigerator or next to the phones to help them deal with an ex-spouse in a positive way.  Notes are especially helpful when we are really angry or when there are kids in the...

Plan for blended family bonding and unity When single parents fall in love and plan to blend their families, they sometimes fall prey to a narrow view of what to expect. Love sometimes does that. It makes us feel like everything is okay now. Good thing, too, because...