Remember the Brady Bunch? When the show came on it played that much too familiar song that went something like... "Here's a story of a lovely lady... and a man named Brady ... and that's the way they ALL became the Brady Bunch... " In that perfect square with that perfect house and all six kids coming together in harmony. Every episode ended in a resolution to whatever … [Read more...]
Blended Families
Why Living in Blended Families was a Gift and a Curse for Me
My father has always had a tumultuous time with women. Being such, my brother and I have had the experience of being raised in a few blended families. As is true with most experiences, it was both a gift and a curse. My parents divorced after 15 years of marriage while I was six and my brother was twelve. My father retained custody of both my brother and I. After … [Read more...]
Single Dad Asks, When Should You Introduce Your Kids to Your New Love?
Are you a dating as a single parent and serious about finding love and marriage? You're probably wondering when is the right time to introduce your kids to your new love. If so, you're a lot like the single father who recently asked me for advice. He has three children from a previous marriage and is dating a woman who didn't have any children of her own. He's been seeing her … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: Why Good Intentions are Not Good Enough
Lamar and I just celebrated 9 years of marriage. And while I can’t say that the last nine years have gone by without any drama or trials, I can say that marrying Lamar has been one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life. He’s not only been a blessing to me, but he has also been a blessing to my children ….our children. We were recently asked what has been one of … [Read more...]
Blended Family Week: 5 Tips That Guarantee a Fun and Stress-Free Blended Family Vacation!
Blended families are beautiful but they can also be stressful. Everyone’s learning each other’s likes and dislikes, habits and quirks while maintaining the new daily routine. The stress can spill over to vacations as well, especially if you’re a newly blended family. Here are a few tips to help you manage the stress on your blended family vacation. Compromise & keep … [Read more...]
Blended Family Week: 5 Brilliant Strategies for Successfully Blending Families
Everyone with children remarrying after divorce hopes to successfully blend their new spouse and all of the kids, whether his, hers or both into a loving, supportive, functional family. As many of us discover, the reality of blending families is a lot harder than it appears to be from the outside looking in. While completing research for my book, Living Happier After: 20 … [Read more...]
7 Steps to a Well Blended Family
I come from a family that was so well blended I wasn't even aware that our family dynamic wasn't the norm until I was at least in high school. The term blended family was new to me. Even though my parents each came into their union with children from previous marriages, my sisters were just my sisters and mommy and daddy were just that. I distinctly remember my mother saying … [Read more...]
5 Ways the Church Can Be a Blessing to Blended Families
by Janice R. Love, The church has been the foundation in the African American community for decades. Individuals and families seek membership for many reasons including: Christian growth and development, opportunities to serve God and others, friendships, assistance with accountability, having a sense of community, friendships, and having a healthy environment to raise … [Read more...]
Stepfamily Survival Tips: 10 Ways to Ensure a Happy Holiday Season
by Janice R. Love, The holidays are exciting for most families; however without planning, holidays for stepfamilies can be disastrous. My husband and I are a blended family of eight children and have been married for over ten years. Here are our ten tips for ensuring a happy holiday season. Plan, Plan, Plan – It has been said if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. … [Read more...]
Another Blended Family Love Story: How My Husband Became “Daddy”
Recently, I wrote an article about my Father before he became my Daddy, where I shared my experience growing up in a blended family home. Now, I am going to share my experience as a parent allowing my spouse to raise my child. My family knew my husband’s family from church many years before we got together. My sister teased me about my him becoming my husband even before we … [Read more...]
Wedding Video: This Blended Family is Ready for Love!
The wedding of Lora and Abdul Muhammad is one of the most beautiful celebrations of love we've seen so far. There are male and female dancers performing to Ready for Love by India Arie as the wedding party enters. And, they had their children (as they are blended family), their parents, family and friends there to share in the love. Check out their wedding video and then leave … [Read more...]
Video: Short Film Captures the Challenges and Love of Blended Families
When you bring together a blended family, everyone (and I mean everyone) will experience growing pains....from the step-parent, to the biological parent, to the kids. They all have to go through a period of adjusting to their new reality. And this period can be easy for some and it can be very difficult for others. I know this reality all too well as Lamar and I have a … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: When Love Trumps DNA…an Awesome Love Story
Recently I shared Bible verses intended to encourage couples in their marriage. Many of the verses focused on love with one of them identifying the various things that define love. It is my belief that all of these qualities are present in us as children. We love without limits. No matter what our parents do in our eyes they are sheer perfection and our desire is to have … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: Stepdads are Great Too!
My parents met when they were both in the Air Force. They married when I was four and my older sister was seven. Looking at the wedding pictures, I remember being there, but for the longest time, I thought my dad was mine biologically. It wasn’t until I was older that I was told he was not. You see my dad adopted me and my sister after he married my mom, so I didn’t get a … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: A Stepmom Speaks Out
My mom was a stepmother to 3 of my stepbrothers. In the house it was my mom (their stepmom), their dad (my stepdad), and me (the only girl and the baby.) Two of them lived at the house the majority of the time and my oldest stepbrother stayed for a couple of years; none of them shared the same mom but would visit or stay with their moms for periods at a time. I asked my mom a … [Read more...]