Blending your Family through Photography and Scrapbooking

Blended families are sometimes tough to unite.  One day you are two separate families, and after a brief marriage ceremony, a few bites of cake… the next thing you know, you’re considered one family.  Well- at least on the outside. It’s difficult for adults and kids to get used to the newly blended family – [...]

House Hunting for the Blended Family

Submitted by Shirley Cress Dudley Budget Discuss with your future spouse the ideal budget for a new home.  Make sure you choose a range that you can afford.  Try to keep your house payments to 25% of your income (33% at the very most.)  You may have two houses that need selling.  Make sure at [...]

Grandparent’s Golden Rules for Blended and Step Families

Submitted by Shirley Cress Dudley You and your new love have decided to blend your families.  Now it’s time to help your Mom and Dad with some tips on how to respond to your newly blended family. 1- Treat all children the equally and fairly Treat your step grandkids as if they were all your [...]

Blended Family Vacations – How to be Successful

Submitted by Shirley Cress Dudley You and your new spouse/boyfriend are wondering what to do about a vacation…  Do you have the fantastic idea of taking your newly blended family on a three-week car ride all around the United States? Uh oh… maybe you haven’t thought this through.                        Your spouse/boyfriend is asking if maybe we [...]

Top Ten Signs You Have A Successful Blended Family

Submitted by Shirley Cress Dudley 1- You and your spouse have clear house rules that apply to all blended family members Yes, this means that house rules don’t change when you are tired, or your spouse is out of town.  Both biological children and stepchildren all follow the same rules.  It really does help when [...]

Turning The Kids Against The Ex

Submitted by Shirley Cress Dudley When parents get divorced, sometimes the divorce is less than amiable.  Parents may carry resentment and anger.  Unfortunately, sometimes those negative thoughts are communicated to our children. I regularly hear from stepfamilies that have been told by their children that Mom (or Dad) doesn’t love them anymore or that their [...]

Discipline In The Blended Family

Submitted by Shirley Cress Dudley Frequently, people ask me if their disciplinary methods should be different in a blended family.  Your kids have been through the separation of their parents…then a divorce…and now a new marriage/cohabilation arrangement that comes with a blended family.  You wonder, shouldn’t I just give my kids a break and loosen up [...]

Why Did My Dad (or Mom) Remarry and Get a Step Family?

Submitted by Shirley Cress Dudley It’s tough for kids to understand why parents get divorced, and even harder to understand why they remarry and have a blended or step family.  Here are some talking points for you to discuss this difficult topic with your kids.  You may need to revise some of the answers, based [...]

Surviving the First 90 Days in a Blended Family

Submitted by professional counselor, Shirley Cress Dudley No Less Love Remind everyone, at least daily, that there is no less love in a blended family. Everyone who was a valued family member before the “merge” is still a valued family member. Each loved member of the family is still loved. A blended family provides the [...]

Happy Relationship, Happy Kids?

Couples need to focus on each other more and their kids less, according to family coach and author David Code.  Not only will their kids be happier and healthier for it, so will their marriages/relationships.  And I’m taking notes:  cause when I was married, I admit I sometimes put being a great parent ahead of being a great spouse.  And [...]

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