It’s almost Blended Family Week, a time dedicated to the celebration of blended families everywhere. It’s a necessary recognition because merging families isn’t always easy. Add to that this current climate of COVID and it could become even more of a challenge. It's comforting to know there are resources and tips for successful blended families. If you are looking for blended … [Read more...]
Blended Families
Step Family Life: 5 Very Real Concerns of a Biological Mother
When my husband proposed to me, I was elated. He was finally going to put a ring on it after six months of dating. This was in 1999, so I realize this may seem odd. However, I knew in my heart that he was my husband and I told him this. I am also a mom of a beautiful six-year-old daughter, Gabrielle(Gab). She is my everything. Her father wasn’t in her life and wasn't even … [Read more...]
What Every Couple In A Blended Family Should Hear Before It’s Too Late
Updated: September 2020 As we celebrate 11 years of marriage, my spouse and I become eager to learn some relationship advice, such as how to save your marriage if you're in a blended family. Right now, I am happy to say that my marriage is stronger than ever and we have a good relationship with our family members. However, that’s not something I could have said seven years … [Read more...]
Discipline In A Blended Family: 5 Things That Kept Us From Divorce
Updated: September 2020 Blending a family requires a lot of work to strengthen the family bond. Discipline can be a point of contention in a blended family. And, those differences in parenting styles can literally make a couple split up if you don’t take measures to build strong relationships and to ensure that your marriage bond is strong. Find out how to make a blended … [Read more...]
3 Ways Our Blended Family Went From Broken To Blessed
Updated: September 2020 Sometimes, becoming a successful, happy blended family can be a struggle. Personally, Lamar and I began with feeling blessed to desperately trying to save our relationship from totally breaking down. Thanks to God's blessings and some humility from the both of us, we were able to save our family from ruin. Here's our little story of family blessing … [Read more...]
Should I Commit to Marrying a Woman With Six Children?
I usually do not share my business on social media because people are too judgmental, plus I grew up with the ole school saying, “What happens in my house stays in my house.” However, I am lost and need some guidance. That old saying is not helping me out so I decided to write you. I am going to get straight to the point. Should I Commit to Marrying A Woman With Six … [Read more...]
How I learned to Let My Husband Raise My Son
Sometimes blending those as step-family as there may be biological parents to deal with or the spouse entering the new family may find it difficult to parent someone else’s child. I had a two year old son when I met my husband and he had no children. The biological father really wasn’t a presence so there was no problem on that front. The problem was me. I had to learn to let … [Read more...]
Recap: 13 Most Pivotal Moments in Black Culture in 2016
[tps_header]With weeks away from 2017, we wanted to look back on the year of 2016. For many African Americans, there were several monumental events in 2016 that have influenced our world. We've had some highs (an introduction to the Simones) and some lows (the deaths of our legends). So here's our tribute to 2016. Let us know what moment in history touched you the most. 13 … [Read more...]
How God’s Sense of Humor Healed My Blended Family; Plus, 5 Tips for YOU
Many people ask, "how did you make your blended family work?" With so many couples turning to divorce in our society, I can see how this perplexes folks. My prayer is that these five tips will help you in this journey called LIFE. 1. Pray!!!! I am so serious about this. Bringing children and a spouse together is a totally different dynamic, which can make or break a new … [Read more...]
ATTENTION: FREE Help for Your Blended Family This Weekend in Atlanta!
We're excited to announce that we're having a Blended Family Boot Camp here in Atlanta, GA on November 12th. This is the first time that we are doing an event specifically for Stepfamilies and we're excited! And its' about time! And it's FREE...that's right...thanks to our sponsors this event is totally FREE. As we share often, Lamar and I have a blended family which is … [Read more...]
The #ForeverDuncan Couple Share Their Successful Strategies to Merging Their Blended Family
Remember #ForeverDuncan? Last month, the Internet fell in love with the courageous proposal and same day wedding ceremony for Alfred and Sherrell Duncan. The video of the surprise ceremony captivated social media for weeks, and the couple became an overnight phenomenon. So now that the dust has settled, we wanted to catch up to see how the Duncans were adjusting to … [Read more...]
My Stepdaughter Has Been Cold Since Our Wedding. What to Do with Our Newly Blended Family?
Hello Dr. Buckingham, My husband and I recently married a little over a month ago. The issue that I need insight on is how to deal with our children (my step children)? During the planning of our wedding, the relationship I had with two of his children changed drastically. One of his kids, whom I had a great relationship with, seemed to change once we decided that we … [Read more...]
#Giveaway: Win Free Tickets to Our Blended Family Boot Camp in Atlanta, Georgia
We’re excited to announce that we’re having a Blended Family Boot Camp here in Atlanta, GA on November 12th. This is the first time that we are doing an event specifically for Stepfamilies and we’re excited! And its’ about time! As we share often, Lamar and I have a blended family which is why we are so passionate about making sure that families just like ours have the … [Read more...]
Fakers, Haters and Deal Breakers—Keeping Outside Influences Outside of Your Blended Family
Blending a family is hard work. Trust us, we know. We've had to deal with differences in discipline on top of the common hurdles newlyweds face. But what we've found is that one of the biggest threats to your marriage and your blended family is outside forces. The people who make up these outside forces are what I like to call, "fakers," "haters" and "deal breakers." If … [Read more...]
Wait! Did Alicia Keys Just Release the Blended Family Anthem? Be Prepared to Weep, Ya’ll
Over the weekend, Alicia Keys released a beautiful song about her blended family. As you may recall, Alicia Keys formed a blended family with husband, producer Swizz Beatz's, who had three kids before their marriage—one with ex-wife and singer-songwriter Mashonda. Some of the lyrics include touching declarations of love for her stepchildren: Hey I might not really be your … [Read more...]