If you're a biological parent in a blended family, you often wonder exactly what its like from the step-child's perspective. My son and I have a very close relationship and I'm always inquiring about his feelings on just about anything, especially when it comes to our family structure. If you recall, I wrote an article talking about my feelings and how I felt when it was … [Read more...]
My Husband Treats My Son Like a Step-child
For years now I've been feeling like my husband treats our son differently than he does the other kids, like a step-child. For all practical purposes, my son really is his step-son...my son is from a previous relationship and we now have two daughters together. I have, at times, criticized my husband for the way he speaks to my son. On numerous occasions, I've voiced that he … [Read more...]
Don’t Call Me Step-Mom!!!
I don't know about you, but when I hear a child call an adult by their first name, you may as well be scraping the chalkboard with your fingernails. OUCH! So, in a step-child/parent situation to be fair to all parties involved, what should the kids call the step-parents? This is quite a sticky situation with so many different, yet valid answers. However, one solution never fits … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: 6 Blended Family Twitter Accounts that You Need to Follow Now!
With divorce rates and out-of-wedlock birthrates being so high, most Americans today will find themselves in some type of step/blended family situation. People who marry a person that already has children are often blind-sided by the difficulties and challenges of blended family life. And they often find themselves desperately looking for help or a way out. The bad news is … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: A Great Way to Begin a Blended Family
This summer I had the great pleasure of attending a beautiful wedding ceremony for an extended family member. The couple was adorable and the event was amazing. Everything you typically see during a wedding was all in place; the beautiful flower girl (my daughter), the wedding party, the flowers and the Pastor. I was all prepared to witness what I normally do, the couples … [Read more...]
3 Must-Have Conversations Before You Start a Blended Family
Earlier this week I wrote a post titled 4 Must-Have Conversations Before You Get Married. It's been very well received with lots of comments, views and social shares on sites like Facebook but there was one comment that moved me the most. A reader named "Catehess" mentioned that additional conversations were necessary in blended family situations. That comment sparked my idea … [Read more...]
Special 2 Hour #MarriageChat Wednesday: Blended Families
Our online Twitter party resumes on Wednesday Sept. 21st and the topic will be Blended Families. Since we missed last week we're going to make it up by having a special 2 hour edition of #Marriagechat this week! We'll be on Twitter using the hashtag #marriagechat when we talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of blended families. It takes place on Wednesday September … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: A Blended Family is the New Norm
by Reginald Williams The blended family now serves as America's norm. This is especially true in the larger segment of the African-American population when one factors in the sky-scraping out-of-wedlock birthrate complemented by an equally dismal divorce pace. Even within the larger society 65 percent of the people who remarry will do so bringing children into the new … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: My Favorite Blended Family Resources
We found the following blended family statistics over at The Bonded Family.com 2,100 new blended families are formed EVERY DAY in America Over 65% of Americans are now a stepparent, a stepchild, a stepsibling, step-grandparent or touched directly by a stepfamily scenario By 2010, blended families/step-families will be the most common form of family in America 82% … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: Fakers, Haters and Deal Breakers – Keeping Outside Influences Outside of Your Blended Family
As Blended Families Week rolls along I hope that you've been getting some great information that will help you deal with the difficulty of a blended family. I also hope that you've realized that you are not alone when it comes to the difficulty of marriage and parenting in a blended family situation. If you are not in a blended family and just would like to learn more about … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: A Second Generation Blended Family
For as long as I can remember, I've had three sets of grandparents. My mother's parents, and then my dad's dad (and his second wife) and my dad's mom (and her new husband). My grandparents divorced when my father was a child, and they both hooked up with their long-term partners shortly thereafter. My dad has taken his time to come to terms with this new arrangement, and … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: What If The Blending Comes From An Affair?
You may have heard the statistic that around 30 % of children live as part of a blended family. But here is another statistic you may not have heard very often: It is estimated that roughly 3% of children in the U.S. are born as the result of an extramarital affair. That percentage may not seem astounding on its own, but it amounts to more than 2 million children, meaning … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: A Cord is Stronger Than a Single Thread
Providing instruction and discipline in a blended family can be very difficult (and that's an understatement.) This is a major point of contention for many blended families. When we had Blended Families Week here on the site last year, it broke my heart to read the comments from numerous people that were experiencing turmoil in their relationships because they had vastly … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: The Step-Child, As An Adult
When I was first informed of the BMWK topic for the week (blended families) I immediately thought I would have nothing to contribute this week. Thinking neither my husband nor I had children prior to our dating. But then it hit me, and I don't know why it hadn't before:I am a product of a blended family. I have been someone's stepdaughter, half-sister and stepsister as long as … [Read more...]
We Are Family: Why There’s No “Half” In The Payne Household
As I dig through my life in the name of not being a hoarder spring-cleaning, I recently happened upon some paperwork from my son's high school. It was dated last year, back when he was in the 9th grade, back when we were working with his school to implement some new and innovative learning strategies for him. It listed his academic history and his family history. The academic … [Read more...]