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...]
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...]
Major Key Alert: Wives Give Real Talk on How to Have an Exceptional Marriage
As a single lady who desires to be married, I constantly get messages on social media about dating, courtship and marriage. These messages come in the form of wedding photos, smiling faces, relevant scriptures and empowering statements, which are all fine, but sometimes you have to dig deeper. Single people who desire to be married one day should be intentional about … [Read more...]
How 3 Mothers Impacted My Life; Lessons from a Blended Family
My mother and father divorced after 15 years of marriage when I was 6. They met in Thailand early in his ARMY career, fell in love and he brought her back to his small Texas hometown in the United States. She spoke no English. They had my older brother shortly after arriving and had me six years later. Six years after that, they divorced and my brother and I chose to live … [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...]
Blended Families Week: 5 Tips to Help You Transition into a Blended Family
by Carletta Henderson-Youngs Change and transition are common in blended families. Every family member has to find a way to adjust to new roles, different expectations, and greater challenges. Often times it is easy to focus on adult matters, although children in blended families are equally affected. To make transitions easier and to strengthen the family bond, consider … [Read more...]