by Gayla Grace | Nov 18, 2013 | acceptance, Blog, stepfamily holiday tips
Today I’m posting a guest post by Laura Reagan-Porras, MS, a parenting journalist and sociologist. She gives a few tips for thriving through stepfamily holidays. One Part of New Normal and Two Parts of Stepfamily Doesn’t Equal Holiday Fruitcake The...
by Gayla Grace | Nov 13, 2013 | Blog, co-parenting, stepfamily holiday tips
I listened as the teen-age girl negotiated the schedule with her dad. It was complicated and she was stressed. I knew she was doing the work her mother should have done; instead she had been thrust in the middle. Co-parenting often creates tension and additional...
by Gayla Grace | Nov 8, 2013 | Blog, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships
I was thankful to hear from a stepmom today who I worked with previously in a coaching relationship. I wasn’t sure if she and her husband were going to make it because they had significant kid-struggles. But I loved her optimism as she told me she and her...
by Gayla Grace | Nov 4, 2013 | Blog, stepfamily holiday tips
Some weeks seem really long and hard. Have you had one of those weeks lately? I have. But the beauty of it was what God taught me on a particularly hard day. I heard it loud and clear: “Focus on what you do right, not what you do wrong. Focus on who you are, not...
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...
by Gayla | Nov 27, 2012 | attitude, Blog, feelings, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships, stepparenting choices
I’ll never forget the first holiday season our family celebrated together. My husband and I had married in mid-October and the holidays descended upon us before we could get settled in our new surroundings. My expectations of a joyous holiday season quickly...
by Gayla | Nov 7, 2012 | attitude, Blog, co-parenting, conflict, stepfamily holiday tips
Taken from our e-book, “Unwrapping the Gift of Stepfamily Peace,” I want to share some thoughts on how to make co-parenting work. Our son, Nathan, hangs with a friend whose parents are divorced. Nathan came back from a birthday party, talking about...
by Gayla | Dec 19, 2011 | attitude, Blog, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships, take care of yourself
As we head into the holidays, life gets dicey. Emotions are heightened as we try to find the perfect gift for our stepchild or negotiate that last-minute schedule change with our ex. And if we, as stepparents, are carrying emotions too closely to our heart, we can...
by Gayla | Dec 14, 2011 | Blog, Faith, Prayer, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships, stepmother role
Our three college children have been taking semester finals last week and this week. I’ve been praying for them diligently as I remember how overwhelming final exams can be.As I was finishing my Christmas shopping this week, I ran across a merchant inside...
