by Gayla | Mar 7, 2013 | attitude, Blog, conflict, expectations, patience, Stepfamily Vacations
Throwing family members together for an extended period of time can wreak havoc on even the most stable family. For a fragile stepfamily, it can be a recipe for disaster. So if you’re headed out for an adventure with your stepfamily, take along a few tools to...
by Gayla | Feb 25, 2013 | attitude, Blog, character, Faith, love, successful stepparenting
The early morning text surprised me. I don’t hear from my young adult stepson a lot but sensed he needed to talk based on what I read. I picked up the phone and engaged in a lengthy conversation with him regarding his year-long relationship with his girlfriend....
by Gayla | Feb 19, 2013 | attitude, Blog, boundaries, co-parenting, conflict, loyalty conflict, successful stepparenting
I’m addressing a question today I received from a reader. How do you cope as a stepmom when you’re dealing with a biological mom who is belittling to you and doesn’t want you in her children’s lives? The stepmom role becomes harder when the bio...
by Gayla | Feb 13, 2013 | Balance, Blog, feelings, love, stepfamily marriage
Have you made plans for Valentine’s Day yet? If not, please do. As a stepcouple, you deserve a night out to celebrate your marriage and enjoy time as a couple.Stepfamily life includes too much time trying to cope with the everyday strain of kid issues, or...
by Gayla | Feb 6, 2013 | Blog, Change, Prayer, Waiting
I was approaching 40 years old. My husband and I had four children already – we each brought two from our previous marriage. My husband had had a vasectomy almost ten years prior. How could we even consider having a child together? “Delight yourself in the...
by Gayla | Jan 30, 2013 | attitude, Balance, Blog, conflict, Grace, stepfamily relationships, Uncategorized
It’s easy to think we must be perfect in our stepfamily interactions and make huge steps every day to strengthen our relationships. But that isn’t true. Small steps on a regular basis can result in huge dividends with your stepfamily. Here are ten easy...
by Gayla | Jan 22, 2013 | Blog, expectations, hope, patience, stepfamily relationships, stepmother role, Uncategorized
As I listened to my husband on the other end of the phone with his daughter, I knew something bad had happened. He handed the phone to me and said, “She wants to talk to you.” Through tears, my stepdaughter, Adrianne, relayed that her boyfriend of six...
by Gayla | Jan 16, 2013 | acceptance, Blog, Change, conflict, stepfamily relationships
I was recently talking to a stepmom who’s struggling in her role with her stepdaughter. In hearing some history of the relationship, I could see the normal progression that often happens in stepfamilies with various stages of integration. How a stepfamily...
by Gayla | Dec 18, 2012 | Balance, Blog, stepfamily holiday tips, stepparenting choices, successful stepparenting
Have you purchased our holiday e-book yet? Here’s a portion from Chapter 2 that I wrote: “It’s easy to create narcissistic children who feel entitled to receive every gift they ask for when we give them too much. It’s an unhealthy practice and,...
by Gayla | Dec 13, 2012 | attitude, Blog, Faith, feelings, hope, perseverance, Prayer, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships
The facebook status of my friend was heart-breaking:”After 25 years of working for the same company, my wonderful hard working amazing husband was told he does not have a job. Our world has turned upside down…” A hard situation to face at the holiday...
by Gayla | Dec 7, 2012 | Blog, patience, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships
A portion of a new chapter from our e-book this year: “Drama and stepfamily holidays seem to go together. With so many variables in play it’s likely than an event, unexpected circumstance, or family member will spark a conflict. Emotions become heightened...
by Gayla | Dec 4, 2012 | Blog, peace, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships
The 2nd edition of our holiday e-book, Unwrapping the Gift of Stepfamily Peace, is out and for the next few weeks I want to include some excerpts to help you thrive, not just survive, the holiday season. Today I start with the introduction to give you...