Christmas is time when multitudes of families from all over the world gather together to celebrate. It’s a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who came on this earth for our sakes. That should cause us all to celebrate and be joyful. But some family gatherings also include Read More…
Even with the joy of Christmas, most of us have experienced stress that comes along with this season of the year. The Christmas song says, “‘Tis the season to be jolly.” But it’s also a season where we put a lot of unnecessary stresses onto our lives. This can make Read More…
Marriage in itself is difficult to adjust to, let alone a remarriage where you bring with you additional “family” from your past marriage. You don’t want to, and you didn’t intend to, but it happens. After the honeymoon period starts to fade in the background, “regular life” starts to take Read More…
According to Webster, blending is “fitting or relating harmoniously, to have no perceptible separation.” Applying that concept to blending families led me to believe that our two family units would be able to relate harmoniously and not feel fragmented. Webster’s definition may have worked for blending milk, fruit, and ice Read More…
The following is a list of “lessons learned” based on personal experience and research. It is written for couples who are step parents. For Step Parents: 1. Become knowledgeable about the stages of stepfamily formation, stepfamily myths, and challenges as soon as possible. This helps couples to recognize that they Read More…
When you remarry with step children to consider, the continual goal is to establish your marriage footing so your new family becomes one in how you interact with each other. But here’s something to consider: If you were injured and trying to reach a safe place, would you step onto a Read More…
I’ll never forget it. Elizabeth Einstein, a well-respected stepfamily author and trainer, stunned a group of ministers when she told us to make remarriage difficult for couples in our churches1. She wasn’t implying that remarriage is wrong, but was simply suggesting that remarriage-particularly when children are involved —is very challenging. Read More…
