The Evil Stepmother: Do You Care if She Cares For Your Children?

Cinderella mop the floors. Cinderella bring me tea. Cinderella, Cinderella, CINDERELLA!!!! The picture that society has painted of step-moms is evil, ugly, rotten and very sad. According to Cinderella and other stories with stepmothers, these women only love their biological children and they are incredibly mean or they are young attractive women that the ex [...]

Top 10 Co-Parenting Tips For Divorced Parents

Submitted by: Shirley Cress Dudley Top 10 Co-Parenting Tips For Divorced Parents 1- Keep contact to a minimum One phone call a day is excessive, several text messages a day is extremely excessive.  If you have a subject related to the kids- speak briefly and clearly about your expectations.  Emails are better than phone calls, [...]

Time For Yourself in a Blended Family

Submitted by blended family expert, Shirley Cress Dudley Being a stepparent is tough.  Really tough. You want to keep your spouse happy, their kids happy, your kids happy (if you have some biological kids) and usually anyone else that comes within three feet of you happy. Admit it… you’re the one in the family that’s [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]