When I was eleven years old my mother remarried. At first I was pretty excited about her dating this guy. I finally had that father figure I had craved as a child. Then all of the sudden I realized that I no longer had my mother all to myself anymore. I felt like I was losing her. It had been just me and my mom for several years. We did everything together. We were inseparable. We stayed up late watching old movies in bed, we went to art museums together, we read books together, we went to the symphony together. … Continue reading →

Ok, let’s face it, blending two families is never easy. There’s a reason second marriages fail more often than firsts. Adjusting to the new dynamics is hard on everyone, children and parents alike. There are so many different facets that have to be worked out. When should you discipline your partner’s children? What will they call you? What is expected of them? What is expected of you? It is important to discuss all of these issues with your partner and also as a family to alleviate some of the confusion that naturally comes with combining what once was two separate … Continue reading →

I grew up in a blended family. Maybe that is why I’m a little leery about ever having another one. My mom was a single mother for several years. She had three children and remarried a man who had three children of his own, who happened to be the same ages. Some of us were happy about the marriage, some of us weren’t at the time, and others just didn’t have a clue what was going on. Those first couple of years were pure chaos. All four of us girls had to share a room, while the two boys shared … Continue reading →