Family reunions are such a good way for extended families to reconnect, especially when some of the family branches live at distant locations and visiting frequently is not possible. If you are the organizer of a family reunion and have…
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After twenty or more years of raising your child right, taking them to your church, instilling the values and traditions of your faith, it can be a shock to parents when a child marries someone of a different faith. The…
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BACK FROM THE DEAD My only exposure to step people was as a kid. I had two friends growing up who lived with a step-parent. One was referred to as “Norm, my fat ass step-dad”. The second was “Jan the…
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Large families are not as prevalent as in years past. When one does see a large family nowadays it is often on a television reality show or in a news story about the latest set of sextuplets, or other combination…
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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN OVERFLOWING FAMILY 5am and do we awaken to the gentle sounds of the dawn chorus? Well a dawn chorus of sorts, but made up of whimpers, moans and shouts, all courtesy of our…
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Growing up in a large family may seemingly be littered with downfalls, tediousness and stress, especially when you are a part of one. However, if you take the time to look past the obvious downsides, growing up in a large…
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Wow! Is this topic near and dear to my heart! To say the integration of stepchildren into a family is challenging is indeed an understatement! I remarried in April 2002 to a wonderful man that already had three children with…
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I’ve been married for nearly 20 years in a blended family situation and here’s some practical advice to anyone about to become a stepfather: REGARDING YOUR PARTNER *Tell her you love her everyday. Give her a kiss and a hug…
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Finding out your child has found something they want to spend the rest of their life with is a very happy feeling, but learning they want to change their religion can make it very difficult. It is hard not to…
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Children:Yours, mine and ours,makes me think of the African proverb It takes an entire village to raise a child.When children are part of an individuals life ,and that individual is involved with someone , acceptance of the children is of…
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It was a hot summer night, sitting in my car with a man I had known for three years, hoping and wishing that tonight would be the night he would tell me he loved me. His son, away on summer…
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It’s not easy getting divorce or moving on when your relationship ends. No matter how it happened, you are now single and you have children with your ex. Things will change once your other parent meets someone new. The other…
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I never set out to fail. But I felt like I had failed when I married at a young age and divorced several years later at still a tender young age. I tried again and failed and tried again and…
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Yours, Mine and Ours It is no secret that the divorce rates in this country have skyrocketed. Family’s now come in a mixture of Step parents , step children, and new brothers and sisters. Today, if you do not live…
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In my opinion they most absolutely deserve a lot more credit then what they get. When my husband and I got married, he had custody of his boys. HIs eldest was a junior in high school and the younger one…
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I hope that if and when that time comes, you will give your child credit for being able to make his or her own choices in life. It’s not an easy part of parenting to part with the dream of…
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There are many reasons that one is raised in a single-parent home, divorce, teen pregnancy or death of biological parents and raised by another family member. My situation was that I was born to two college students. The age old…
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I am stepmother and I can honestly say without a doubt, stepparents usually get a raw deal. The love and devotion they put into a family, rarely gets the recognition it most surely deserves. My husband and I have been…
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Lending out a helping hand with household chores can be efficient in the way a household runs. Daily chores seem to never end in my home. By the time every chore has been finished, it’s time to start yet again….
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When I met my husband eight years ago, I knew there would be a new experience with taking on a then five year old when I had no children of my own. But I welcomed him with open arms. I…
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Becoming a step parent can be a challenge for anyone. For the family with the child that resents the step parent this can become even more of a challenge. Here are some great tips for developing a great relationship with…
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Why is it so difficult for people – both in stepfamilies and out – to accept the differences that exist in a stepfamily? The differences don’t make us less human or less caring. In fact, it’s much easier for everyone…
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I can say from personal experience, no matter how happy you are or think you are, allowing a step-parent adoption to occur is like gambling with your child’s’ life. I had plenty of red flags you might say before I…
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When it comes to managing household responsibilities there is one word that comes to mind. Teamwork! They say that a family that prays together stays together. A family that works together will become achievers! When it comes to chores it…
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We are a world full of “steps” we have “step children”, “step Grandparents.” and “step Parents.” Recently I got a letter from a friend who said,” she was sitting for her “step dog!” I’d like to see this term banned…
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It seems more and more women are hitting the road and leaving their children to be raised by men. I know at least two women that have done this, most notably my step-daughter’s mother – we’ll call her “Nancy”. See…
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I’m sure that my dad would be the last person to call himself a dead beat father. My mother passed away when I was 10 and it was up to my dad to raise 3 young children on his own….
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This will sound very much like the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”; However, the ending was anything but positive for the both of us. I was born and raised in “the bible belt”, in Clarksville, Tennessee. I was raised…
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A blended family is continually being created.Statistics say that it may take 7-10 years for a blended family to fully come into their own. Ours is a common scenario for a family blended after divorce. Family blending occurs whenever 2…
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Stay at home mom. Now there’s a title that grabs you with hands as large as the life it implies. There’s a lot to be said for stay at home moms or dads,for that matter. And there are two kinds,…
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