Blended Family Podcast

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   These days our children are exposed to more than they should be, and most exposure is due to social media. Teenagers spend the majority of their time with their faces buried in their phones. This is truly frustrating for parents. The choice whether to get your child that smartphone or not is yours as their parent, but you should be aware of what it entails before you make that decision. Most importantly, certain rules should be set before even giving your child that phone. We aren’t going to be able to stop social media, but at least we can gain knowledge about it in order to keep our children safe. Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   www.makelovenotporn.com  

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Being a stepparent can be hard, and sometimes confusing as well. It’s hard to know how much you can say or do, or how much you can involve yourself in the life of the child. In this episode, I go over some do’s and dont’s to help you in your role as a stepparent.   For the donts Dont badmouth Dont be a disciplinarian Dont be a replacement parent Don’t take things personal Don’t expect everything to be perfect.   And the Do’s Do communicate with your spouse Do start slow Do give our spouse alone time with their children Do get involved in your step kids lives Do create new traditions Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe   Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com  

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Keeping your blended family healthy can be a challenge. As children shuffle from home to home, they can can also bring their illness from home to home. We can’t always control the other home environment where our children live when they aren’t with us. We can only teach them the importance of healthy eating and exercise. In this episode I share tips and challenges. I also get into the benefits of using essential oils to improve your family’s health. Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   For the essential oils www.mydoterra.com/melissamarks melissaessentials@gmail.com  

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Forgiveness is something that is necessary in all families. Blended families will not be as successful if we cannot learn how forgive others. It is also extremely important to teach our children how to do this. These nine steps were taken from www.learningtoforgive.com   Know exactly how you feel about what happened and be able to articulate what about the situation is not OK. Then, tell a trusted couple of people about your experience. Make a commitment to yourself to do what you have to do to feel better. Forgiveness is for you and not for anyone else. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation with the person that hurt you, or condoning of their action. What you are after is to find peace. Forgiveness can be defined as the “peace and understanding that come from blaming that which has hurt you less, taking the life experience less personally, and changing your grievance story.” Get the right perspective on what is happening. R

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Don’t miss this awesome Father’s Day Special, with special guest, Justin Worsham. Justin has a thriving career as a comedian, and is now cultivating a radio career. His podcast, called The Dad Podcast, is rising to the top of the charts! In this interview we discuss   Justin’s role as a stay at home, working parent His relationship with his own dad Incorporating humor into parenting The Dad Podcast Some parenting struggles Some personal information about Justin   Here at the the Blended Family Podcast, we want to wish all of the dad’s out there a very special Father’s Day. Please share this episode with the special father’s in your life!   Here’s how you can connect with Justin Worsham! Website Podcast Twitter   To connect with me! Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Summer is here, school is out! What are you going to do with your blended family? It can be hard to coordinate schedules over the summer and also keep them busy. What can you do so you don’t hear the constant “I’m bored?” I’ll give you just a few tips in this short episode, as I’m getting ready to take a small trip before the chaos of summer arrives! Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com There are many roles we play in our blended families, and sometimes we can feel unappreciated for all that we do. There are five main categories or roles that we feel unappreciated in.   Stepparent Parent Partner Child New partner (unappreciated by partner’s ex)   Proper communication can help, by expressing to your family what your needs are. Most of us have these feelings at one point or another. Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com  

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   It is very common as parents to compare our own children to other children. This comparison hinders us from truly seeing the positive qualities in a child. We need to accept, love, and embrace our kids for who they are, positive and negative. Blended families can struggle with this, as suddenly there are other kids in the home, and often we cannot help but to compare our biological children to our stepchildren. It is our human nature to do this, but it’s important to try not to for the sake of your child, and for your own sanity. You can make a conscious effort to stop comparing, love your children for who they are, and focus on their positive qualities. Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Perfectionism is something that many people struggle with. When it comes to a blended family, we can feel pressure to have the “perfect” family. This, of course, is an unrealistic expectation.   In this episode, we discuss the questions to ask yourself to determine if you are a perfectionist, examples of what perfectionism looks like in a blended family, and what steps you can take to overcome perfectionism, which involve recognition and forgiveness self dialogue surrender sense of humor   Perfectionism is definitely something that can improve over time, thereby improving your quality of life, and the quality of all of your relationships. anxietybc.com   Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com  

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com In almost all relationships, at some point or another, couples are faced with a decision to end a relationship or stick it out. The stresses of a blended family can really put an extra strain on a relationship. Before you decide to end a relationship, and affect not only your lives, but the lives of your children, there are some important 5 key factors to look at.   length of the relationship overall quality of the relationship how many children are involved, and how would they feel if there were a breakup how many years before you are empty nesters what type of issues are you having, and can they be resolved   Listen to the episode to learn what should not be a cause of a breakup, and also what types of fears should not hold you back! Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   In this episode, we celebrate MOMS! It doesn’t matter if you are a biological mom, a step mom, a grandmother, or a step grandmother. In this show, I interview Lauren Jean, a fellow podcaster, who is all about helping moms! Some things we discuss are   Laurens podcast what moms struggle with creating time in your day how to not neglect our own needs stress management self care Want to connect with Lauren? Here are her links! website podcast instagram facebook Connect with me here Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com I asked the listeners to help me compile a list of 25 top tips for bringing their blended family closer together, for this special milestone episode. Listen in to hear everyone’s fabulous ideas, plus a few of my own! Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

  melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com When your partner hates your child (or you hate your partners child), it can make your relationship seem impossible. The first step is acknowledging that this is going on. Then it’s important to validate one another’s feelings. Hatred is a strong emotion, and is usually coming from someplace. With understanding and communication, this doesn’t have to ruin your relationship. Family counseling can help, and sometimes just time can help. Listen to this episode for some tips on how to deal with this difficult situation.   Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe   Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com    

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   This episode is focused around a listener question, who wants to know how to deal with a very serious, dangerous situation in her life. In many cases, people are dealing with an ex partner who is dangerous to the well being of their child. This can mean abuse, addiction, or mental illness. In this case, our listener is dealing with something unimaginable. Click  here  for the mentioned interview with Heather Rampolla and Christina Roach   Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

  melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com When your child decides they want to move out of your home, and in with their other biological parent, it can turn your world upside down. On this episode, we will talk about why this happens, and what you can do about it. I will also share with you a little of my personal story.   In blended families, this can turn into a situation that affects everyone in the entire home. It’s important to understand that this often has nothing to do with you, but entirely to do with the child. Teenagers, especially, are on their own agenda. They will do whatever they can to get what they want. In a traditional, biological home, they don’t have much of a choice. In the divorced home, it’s often very easy to choose the other home when things get uncomfortable for them.   I also share a listener question! Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com In a traditional family setting, with two parents and their biological children, there are usually two sets of grandparents.  In the blended family, there are at least one or more additional sets of grandparents involved.  This can be difficult to navigate, especially if you don’t have cooperation from the grandparents. Becoming step grandparents may be a role that they weren’t prepared for, and maybe never even thought about.  Once placed in that situation, grandparents often have a hard time rising to the challenge.   In this episode, we will address the reasons why step grandparents struggle with their new role, and what you can do to help them along.  We will also talk about what grandparents should be doing, and what they may be doing wrong.   With time and patience, relationships between step grandparents and their step grandchildren can flourish. There is a special place in every blended family for grandparents. Join the Private Facebook

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   On this episode, I have a conversation with specialist Christina Roach   Christina Roach is President and Founder of Success for Steps®, a resource for stepfamilies, and specializes in working with individuals in "step" relationships. She is a certified Stepfamily Foundation Master Coach and is a recognized Stepfamily Professional by the National Stepfamily Resource Center. In addition, she is a licensed psychotherapist, a National Certified Counselor and a Distance Credentialed Counselor. She's been featured in both national print and broadcast media, including Ebony Magazine and NBC's Daytime. And she's a contributing writer for StepMom Magazine. Christina has a private practice in Tampa, Florida, and offers phone and webcam coaching for those living outside the area.   Some things we discuss in this episode are her Success for Steps program biggest issues blended families face how to overcome difficulties with exes couple arguing over

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   In this day and age, it’s become harder for our children to focus on, and be successful in their education.  The world is a different place now than when we were of school age. Blended families have some extra difficulties with this, especially due to time sharing between two homes.  In this episode we discuss   distractions from social media exposure to sex and drugs problems with smartphones family dynamics and structure in the present time homeschooling scheduling in homework family time sharing and playing fair project sharing teaching your child responsibility   No matter what, it’s essential to do everything you can to help your child succeed! Join the Private Facebook Group Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes Connect with me on Facebook Connect with me on Twitter Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com We often hear of children needing to take a timeout for bad behavior.  Did you ever think of an adult taking a time out?  It can actually be extremely helpful and effective in certain situations. Taking a timeout is essential in times where your anger level is about to reach it’s peak.  Separate yourself before you lose control and say things you may regret later on.  During this time you can focus on your breathing to calm yourself, which will help you deal with whatever situation has come up, in a much calmer state.   Other times when a timeout is useful is if you are feeling depressed, overwhelmed, depleted, or anxious. Find activities that bring you peace and relaxation.  Some ideas are a hot bath, reading a book, doing some yoga, or taking a nap.   These time out sessions do not have to be long, but they can be.  It’s healthy to figure out when you may need one, and also healthy as a behavior for the children to model. When you get used to do

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Raising difficult or manipulative children is so challenging, especially in a blended family home. In cases of divorce, these children are adept at working the parents against one another to get whatever it is that they want.  This behavior can cause lasting damage on the family and your relationship with your partner.   The key to success in helping a difficult child is to determine if there is a medical or psychological cause for their behavior. There are many options to get them the help they need.  If a cause is not determined, there are methods of behavior modification in the home that you can use.   While taking care of the difficult child’s needs, you mustn’t neglect yourself, your partner, or the other children in the home.  There are coping strategies that can help you all keep your sanity.  All children must grow up someday, and so this season in your life will pass.  Take care of your own mental and physical well being so you can be the