Blended Family Podcast

How well do you coparent with your ex? Is this an area that you think could be improved? Healthy co parenting really helps children thrive. My top ten tips for better co parenting with your ex are Put your anger aside Get better at communicating Compromise Respect the other parent Be considerate and share Make important decisions together Establish a relationship with your ex’s new partner Pick your battles Give your ex room to parent Keep your children’s best interests first

Josh is a corporate America escapee who, after 20 years successfully climbing the ladder as a design engineer and manager, realized that it was leaning on the wrong wall. He eventually found a home in WFG.  His passion to help others, the desire to get paid what he was worth, and build a business he could be proud of was fulfilled with this company. In this interview, he joins us to talk about World Financial Group, and why we both are a part of it!

I answer some listener questions today from our private facebook group! First, a stepmom dealing with a high conflict bio mom who wants to tell her how to run her household. Then, a stepmom who loves her role, but is being made to feel like she is overstepping. And last, a bio mom who is interfering with a stepmoms plan for bedroom arrangements for her kids. Maybe some of you can relate with the challenges these stepmoms face!

Blended families require a lot of balance. Many parents struggle because they don’t know which should come first, their relationship with their partner, or their children. There are different factors you can look at, but ultimately, the attention you spend both on your partner and your kids needs to be carefully managed. You will also find that this balance can shift around over the years at different stages of your children's lives.

How well do you resolve conflict in your life? We all have conflict in our relationships, but oftentimes, we don’t know how to resolve them in a healthy way. Conflict is a normal part of every relationship, and so we need to learn how to deal with it in a way that helps us grow together. In this show, my top ten tips to fighting fair, plus I’ll share what you might be doing wrong!

Charla Miller is a successful author who used traumatic events in her life to propel her forward. She wrote a book called, Wonder and Beauty: My Journey From Heartbreak to Healing Through the Wonder of Horses. Her story is paving the way for others to see that their pain from loss isn't the ending but a launching point to even greater connection to those they love and so much more. Charla returns to talk about the reunification with her son.

The blame game is something we all play. It’s easy to point fingers at someone else, but is it really helpful to the situation? In this episode, learn why playing the game holds you back, as well as learn how to stop playing it.

Andrea Santiago Malcolm is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Sex Therapist. She is also a Cancer survivor and enjoys helping others navigate that space as well. She’s a stepmother and knows what it’s like to have all the joys and challenges that come with her role as a step-parent. She teaches multiple coping mechanisms, including therapeutic knitting, which is an evidence-based, portable, and fun way to cope with life.

There are many cases where a new partner wants their mate to sever ties with an ex. Whether you are a stepparent wanting this, a bio parent struggling with this, or an ex dealing with it, it can be tricky. You’ll hear two listener questions which show examples of this in the show, plus my advice to them. There are many reasons why this happens, and many reasons why it’s best to overcome it.

Kristen Skiles is an Air Force wife and [step]mom to a beautiful 7-year-old. She blogs at stepmomming.com where she provides comfort and guidance for overwhelmed stepmoms, encouraging and helping them to write their own happily ever afters. In this episode, we talk about her personal story, her relationship with bio mom, the challenges she faces in her own blended family, tips and advice on making it work, her blog, stepmomming.com, and so much more!

Whether your divorce happened recently or long ago, you might find that you have a child who remains angry. There are many reasons for this, which I talk about in this show. It’s important to learn the reasons so that you can help them move past it in a healthy way. I also tackle some listener questions on the topic.

Feeling guilt is something we all struggle with. Parents tend to feel guilty over every mistake, decision, or circumstance of their lives. Yet, feeling that guilt doesn’t change situations or  make anyone feel better. What can you do? Use my 5 step process to help you ease out of guilt so that you start feeling better today! Identify the issue causing the guilt Determine whether the guilt is healthy or unhealthy Forgive yourself Apologize if necessary Learn and grow from the experience

Michelle Thompson is an attorney and Certified Financial Planner™ helping blended families reach their financial goals. Prior to joining IRC Wealth, she had her own law practice where she focused on estate planning, primarily serving blended families. In this interview, we discuss Her personal story Why she decided to help blended families in her career What families need to set up The difference between a trust attorney and a financial advisor Some listener questions And much more!

This week, some updates on me, and a first listen to the anniversary gift that Songfinch created for my husband! I also tackle some tough listener questions. One mom is unsure of how a man can love her and her kids, a man who is tired of getting disrespected by his step daughter, and a woman whose boyfriends daughter is using manipulation to come between her and her boyfriend. Send in your questions to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com and I might use them on a future show!

Connection is such an important element of relationships. There are four main types of connection that are necessary for strengthening your relationship. They are emotional, physical, intellectual, and soul. In this episode, I explain what they all are, and how to improve them. Plus I give you my favorite bonding exercises. The better balance you can achieve, the more fulfilled you will be as a couple.