When step kids are disrespectful or crabby, the last thing you want to do is spend time with them. My own kids usually need one of three things when this behavior flares up: attention, sleep or a healthier diet. Pretty simple, right? No family therapy session...
Think about the emotions associated with divorce for adults – the anger, frustration, crushed expectations. It’s true – no one gets married thinking their love will end in court. Now, imagine dealing with those realities as a kid. One minute...
It happens. Those carefully cultivated relationships with your lover’s children seem to disappear in a showdown of wills. You might even forget why you ever liked them in the first place – that line about sticks and stones, we know, is for people without a...
“Step back, take a deep breath, and get to know each other.” That’s what Shirley Cress Dudley, MA LPC suggested after I wrote about how to fight for a place in your blended family. She hit the nail on the head. Because in the beginning, getting to know the step...
Does this make you hot: Wake up at 6:30, make coffee, hurry the kids to the bus, quick kiss on the cheek, work all day, get home, make dinner, argue over 6th grade math homework, pay bills, clean up after everyone, tuck kids into bed, wash dishes, pack...