I received enough requests that it was time to do an interview on co-parenting and blended families. This is a great primer for you if you are in this situation.
The couple I interview has lived the experience. One is divorced. One is a spouse of a deceased partner. They blended their families together and it went super well! Their story is inspiring. Listen now!
Here are a few of the highlights:
Shownotes:
- (4:30) Introduction Tammy and Jay
- (8:00) How does a couple know when to merge their families
- (11:10) How to tell your kids if you want to merge families with someone
- (19:55) How to deal with conflicts with your co-parent
- (32:50) Last words about co-parenting
- (39:10) https://coparentinginternational.com/
- (39:20) http://modernfamilydynamics.com/
- (39:35) https://thestepmomconnection.com/
- (40:50) Action Step
Useful Links:
- https://coparentinginternational.com/
- http://modernfamilydynamics.com/
- https://thestepmomconnection.com/
- Apply for our 9 month training (DPIR)
Exactly true, no bitterness. I am not angry. The day he left forgiveness.
It may appear I am angry due to my financial situation. However, my divorce parenting class said the complete opposite about the kid’s position. For example, a drinking bar parent or anti-depressant medication does get the support of children because they end up parenting the toxic parent. I do not do drugs, drink, date, live a very healthy lifestyle. It was not cool hearing that my son became his dad’s drinking buddy while in HS. My places of choice in the gym, working, organizing, church, school, and activism. I do not talk about the other parent unless the children say condescending remarks. The most common is kids choose the most lenient parent as well; no consequences. My kids are adults and should know the truth. I taught my kids to love and love each other. They should not be living with a grown dad at 24 or 30.
hi marlene, thanks for sharing your experience and listening to the podcast =) Hope you’re well -Meg
This topic is so underserved. When I became the wife to a man with children (11 and 14 then), it felt like I had traveled to a foreign land where I did not speak the language. Total new landscape to navigate. It rocked my world. I felt like I lost my life. And I had waited 5 years to marry him because I knew it would be hard and it was WAY harder than I could ever have imagined (for both of us). My husband did not let me co-parent because he had so many fears of any potential issues that might push the kids away. So he felt like he was protecting them by putting walls between me and his kids. This was not acceptable to me. We’ve worked through it. The kids are out of the house now. Now he and I are looking back at our mistakes and building our marriage which should have been done in the first place! Blended families – COMPLEX to say the least. Step parenting — challenging to say the least. Not for the faint of heart. The gift that I received out of all of the rejection, heartache, disappointment, regret – I KNOW MYSELF NOW. I dug so deep and learned how to love me through it. I am a better person. I am more self aware and more self compassionate. I have stronger boundaries and a self worth. And all of that flows out to the family and the world.
hi Lori, thank you so much for sharing these details. Personally, I relate, being a step-parent is not for the faint of heart by any stretch. I’m so glad that you worked through it and are stronger for it, and am taking away a lot from your sharing of the gift you received, and I’m sure others are who are reading this. Thank you for listening and sharing, it means a lot (seriously). -Meg