His Kids Her Kids

Mike Cavanaugh, of “Not Many Fathers,” shares how to encourage the hearts of the children in your blended family to receive your love through focused attention, generous eye contact, meaningful touch, and affirming words. Additional Resources: * Not Many Fathers [https://notmanyfathers.com/]

Stephanie McHenry continues with some of the milestones in her process to harmonious co-family relationships. Stephanie transitioned from seeing herself as the primary source of security and love for her daughter to accepting her daughter’s stepmom as her “other mother,” enlarging her own belief about what it means to be a blended family. Don’t miss the 1st half of Stephanie’s Story: Mothers & Stepmothers – From a Wedge to a Bridge – Part One [https://hiskidsherkids.com/podcast/co-parent/]

Stephanie McHenry takes us on her journey from biased and bitter single mom to fulfilled and embracing co-parent. Stephanie shares her struggles and epiphanies, as she faced her fears and prioritized her daughter’s well-being. Continue Listening: Mothers & Stepmothers – From a Wedge to a Bridge – Part Two [https://hiskidsherkids.com/podcast/9/]

Many times in blended families, the bonus parent will feel their feelings are outnumbered or dismissed. There are many reasons for this, including complex parent-child loyalties that were forged in the devastation of death or divorce. Learn how to scale your spouse’s defensive walls by embracing your own unique perspective, and speaking the truth with love. Additional Resources: * The Secret to Giving Great Feedback – Ted Talk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtl5UrrgU8c] * How to give feedback with the SBI Feedback model [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utAkRRefAqM] * Brené Brown on Blame [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZWf2_2L2v8]

“Jo” became a stepdaughter when she was 7 years old. In this podcast, “Jo” shares her experience growing up in two homes, each with a stepparent. As she grew, these relationships grew as well, but not in the same way. As parents and stepparents, we can learn from her story about how to support the children in our blended family as they discover who they are, and who they are to us.