I am the poster child for blended families. By the age of 13 both of my parents had remarried, causing me to go from being the only child to having three brothers and three sisters. My life dramatically changed, and it took awhile for me to catch up. I've witnessed the good, bad and ugly of blended families. In retrospect, we were all just winging it because there isn't 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...]
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: 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...]
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: 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...]