Family

We are a very unique type of blended family. We are not the normal, her children, his children, their children, kind of blended family. This is what we are. We are the middle aged parents of two grown children now…
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As a step dad of 2 kids other than my own , the only advise I could give is don’t over do it with trying to get them to like you. Be yourself. In the beginning that is exactly what…
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Here’s a riddle: I live in a blended family, yet my parents are not divorced, have never been married before, and have never had children before. There are four types of “groups” in my family, yet we’re all the same…
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The answer is yes, with effort. First, a great example: Growing up, I knew the most amazing step family. My friend’s parents divorced and remarried new spouses. Both families moved to the same neighborhood a couple of blocks from one…
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The year was l994. Dorthy and I were returning from a wonderful ten day honeymoon in California. While I was aware that my life was going to be considerably different than the first thirty four years of bachelorhood, I had…
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Being a stepmother (or father) is one of the most thankless jobs on the planet, and is anything but easy. It’s not a job for the faint hearted, nor is it one for the immature. I’ve been a stepparent for…
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Are we really looking for credit, or do we just want someone to notice that we cared enough to take on what some parents wouldn’t do? In my case, it’s the latter. As a single mother of two, I had…
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If a person is seemingly mature enough to marry a person with children from a previous relationship then they need to be mature enough to accept the accompanying responsibility of parenthood. Instant parenthood involves a tremendous change in mindset and…
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No matter how it’s done, remarriage has effects on children. That is because all children want both of their parents to be together. It doesn’t matter how strained the relationship, only in the case of severe abuse, children desire that…
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It is not unusual in today’s society to marry more than once and although it is good that you haven’t lost faith in the sanctimony of marriage and all it has to offer, the likelihood is there may be children involved….
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I used to live an extremely carefree life. For years I had only my loyal cohort, Khannor, the best pit bull the world had ever seen, to answer to. Drinking was my thing back then, and I did a lot…
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Sometimes one is forced, through circumstances of health or other issues, to liv in an environment of an extended family. Often this involves bring parents, or relatives to live with the family. This can be very difficult and challenging and…
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Being a single parent comes with many challenges, though I believe also has given me the blessing of being a strong and independent woman. I know many times I have questioned why I was meant to be a single parent….
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You are a child. You come home from school and mummy (or daddy) is there, and you know that daddy (or mummy) won’t be coming home that night. If you are lucky you will see the absent parent at the…
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You’re about to bust a blood vessel arguing with your stepchildren for the fourth time this week. You want them to clean their rooms and they yell at you and tell you that you are not their father or mother. There…
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It means a lot to not be able to have your father teach you the ways of being a man. I have spent years wondering what it would be like to meet my real father. What it would have been…
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Does “remarriage” affect your children? I believe it does. Whether it’s for the better or the worse, remarriage destroys a child’s ideal of family. I grew up with a mother that remarried. My sister’s have done the same. I don’t…
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We all know that divorce is often times like an emotional train wreck. It causes resentment, anger, and often times, jealousy. These emotions can surface immediately after the divorce, or may not surface until one parent or the other has…
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“Mum, Dad, I’m going to marry and become a Buddhist,” says the child you have raised in the Christian traditions. After the initial shock, you then have to start thinking about how you will cope with this sudden change of…
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Family Court and child support can be a pretty sticky issue for some. When parents can not work things out between themselves, family court is an option. Depending on the issues at hand, family court can help resolve visitation, custody…
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The Brady Bunch, television’s first blended family, is from days long forgotten, unless you catch a re-run on cable. We live in a different, more active time, and let’s face it – there never really was an Alice, was there?…
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Life is rarely fair. Parents always have high aspirations for their children. A part of that dream is that they will marry someone who will round out their life. Too many times, they watch their children fall into a love…
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Having respect for your step-children also requires you not criticize the real parents, even if the real parents are unfit. When most children meet their step-parents they don’t automatically take a liking to them, in fact it takes them time…
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Remarriage has a huge effect on the children involved. Children may be happy to finally have a family unit or rebel in the fact there is another authority figure introduced into a lifestyle they are used to. The age of…
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When parents don’t agree with your choice in a significant other it could indicate several things. Perhaps they haven’t accepted who the real you is, and therefore are totally unprepared to accept who it is that makes you happy and…
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I remember one day, when our children were babies, my husband said, “Today we are changing their diapers; one day they will be changing ours.” I thought about that. We should care for our children in such a way that…
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“Learning to forgive your mother ” Forgiveness! That is a very, very hard thing to do. And about fourteen years ago If asked if I would ever forgive my mother. My answer would have been a flat out no! To…
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The role of a parent, regardless of the species, is to provide its offspring with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead an independent life as an adult. This process may take only a few days in some creatures; with…
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I was born into a polygamous background. My father had two wives. It was out of circumstance that he married my mother who his second. His first wife gave him two girls and he wanted a son so badly. In…
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An adult child should feel some responsibility to parents, particularly when the parents are elderly and may need help. The degree of responsibilty can vary according to circumstances. Basically, when the adult child has a family of young children of…
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