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 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...]
I Don’t Trust My Husband Because He Doesn’t Respect Me: What Should I Do?
Dear Dr. Buckingham Hello, I have a few questions regarding my marriage. We have been together for 3 years and married 2, one issue is that I have never met, seen nor spoken to the other parent of my spouse's child. I am almost never informed when they are speaking or communicating with each other. It really bothers me because I find myself questioning my trust for them. We … [Read more...]
Trip to the Altar: A Lesson From My Broken Family
This past Christmas was spent with my soon to be in-laws. It was the first time I celebrated a major holiday without my family, and it was bittersweet. Don't get it twisted, I LOVE my future in-laws. The way they've accepted me and love me, is nothing but a blessing from above. However, I couldn't ignore the feeling I felt deep in the pit of my stomach or the tears that I … [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...]
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...]
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...]
7 Reasons Not to Hate Your Child’s Stepmom
When I found out my daughter’s dad moved on, I was devastated. It felt like someone stabbed me in the back and the heart at the same time. I yearned to pick up the phone and call her—the other woman who later became the wife. I wasn’t sure what I would say, but I was sure that the sentences would be filled with four-letter words. I didn’t dial a single digit. Although a … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: 5 Tips I Learned from My Grandparents
The term blended family is fairly new in its popularity; however, blended families have been around since the Bible days. My grandparents are not quite as old as the people in the Bible but they serve as a wonderful example of successfully parenting in blended family. My grandfather married my widowed grandmother somewhere around 1944. She already had a whopping six children, … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: Why a Step Parent is a Bonus Parent
When I met my step son he was 10 years old, and my step daughter was 6 months old. I have to be honest, I was a bit nervous about dating a man with children. I didn't have any children of my own and in my own life I was not too fond of my mom’s husband. I wasn't coming from a total deficit though, as a teacher I had excellent training in child development and I never have any … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: 3 Ways to Help Step-Children Get Along
Growing up with a blended family had its share of challenges as well as blessings. Outside of the typical questions you have as the outside child, if you put your focus in the right place, you really can have the best of both worlds. I didn't appreciate as a child having these different sets of families who loved me and were available when I needed them. Instead of that … [Read more...]
Getting Re-Married? 3 Factors that Could Lead to Re-Divorce
Lamar and I are shooting our 5th documentary film and the topic is Blended Families. This topic is near and dear to our hearts because we have a blended family. I had two children from a previous relationship when Lamar and I met, and then we had two more kids after we got married. And what we’ve found out is that our family structure is not so un-common as 1/3 of all … [Read more...]
Accidental Friends – Our Blended Family Story
I have this friend and I want to tell you about her. She is so super cool. I've known her for about 15 years. We met in my home town in Indiana. She is very kind and always helpful. She is a hardworking, God fearing Christian woman with her own catering business in Indianapolis. She refers to my son as "our son" and I love her daughter. In fact her daughter has spent the … [Read more...]
Couples Spotlight: Carlton & Joyce Waterman
This week's spotlight is on Carlton and Joyce Waterman. They met as neighbors in New York around 1975 (as with most couples who have been together for so many years, they cannot remember the exact year) before getting married. They blended families to become one huge unit of seven children (all girls) and thirteen grandchildren (ranging in ages from eighteen months to … [Read more...]
Atlanta: We’re Casting for Our Next Film on Blended Families
Tyler New Media is casting for a full length multi-cultural film on blended families (step-parenting etc...) set to release later this year. We're looking for people that have been impacted in both good and negative ways from being a part of a blended family situation. Filming will take place on Tuesday February 5, 2013 through Friday February 8, 2013 and February 23 and 24 in … [Read more...]