Tag: blended kids

A Child’s Perspective On Life

So if they can create all of these different images in their head, what do you think they think about the rest of their life. Do they put up a barrier, and create their own version of the world we see? Or are they more intelligent than we think, picking up on the smallest of things that even we miss because we don’t have the time to look? Well, we want to try and give you a child’s perspective on life, so see what you think of the life they might be living in their head!

A Healthy Divorce: Helping Your Kids Through It

Let’s face it; divorce is a sensitive subject in most families no matter how prepared you think you are. There are, luckily, ways to ensure that your children are handling a healthy divorce in ways that don’t promote more storms as you go through it.

Fun Family Activities To Try This Week

Spending time with family is something we all look forward to at the end of the week and it is often the best time of the week to bond and relax amongst people we love and care about. If you are at a loss on what to do and how to spend your time together as a family this week, here are some fun ideas to try.

Providing Your Children With Balance

Being a part of a family that co-parents is tough. You get part of your week away from your children, and it can often feel like a timeshare. You don’t know what goes on outside of your own hours, and you don’t get to be there every single day. Routines get thrown up in the air on a regular basis and the struggle to keep a balance for the sake of the children is very real.

Coping When Your Ex’s Partner Becomes Your Child’s Step Parent

Just like your relationship with your Ex evolved, and you become closer, it seems this new relationship is heading along the same path. This is when panic starts to set in because your kids are about to become part of a new family.

The Unsung Heroes, the Stepmoms!

Today is Mother’s Day. (Hi mom!) And for many mom’s across America, it is a slightly sad day. I am talking about those unsung heroes that fly under the radar…the Stepmoms! Those parental helpers and most of the time better parents who assist us dads in parenting, fighting for our kids, negotiating with the Ex, doing homework, and cooking meals in this crazy blended family thing we call… life.

Determining ‘What’s Best for the Children?’ Sometimes Complicated

“What is best for the children?” We ask that question constantly, regardless of the situation. Here we talk mostly about divorcing parents and how Dads can get child custody. We also consider those times where maybe, just maybe, the parents can reconcile their differences, patch up conflicts, and put many of their not seeing-eye-to-eye moments behind them, and reestablish the family unit.

Fair is Never Part of the Custody Equation

I received an email letter from a Mom who is greatly concerned because the courts are recommending shared custody of their 10 year old son. She, rightfully so, feels this recommendation is unfair because the father has been out of the son’s life for most of his childhood, and yet the social worker feels it is the the child’s best interest.

Your Kids Care about their Dad More than Child Support

“Over the years, I’ve interviewed numerous children in connection with my child custody law and mediation practice. When asked about their feelings and wishes, NOT ONE child responded that they wanted more child support from Daddy. I have had a few children request that their Dad…

Where is the Step-Child’s Home? Right Here with You

Young children of divorce can suffer from a lack of identity. And society can exacerbate that conflict with asking, not intending harm, embarrassing questions that not only make a blended family uncomfortable, but create even more angst for the child of divorced parents.

For New Single Parents: Get Organized

Parenting is tough enough when you have a partner, but when you’re doing it alone, the difficulty reaches new heights. Yet single parents everywhere are successfully and happily raising children by themselves. Like virtually all aspects of single parenting, it takes more work and planning to make it successful, but it can be done,

Taking Reading to the Next Level for Pre-Kindergarteners

In less than three weeks, our youngest son, Daniel, will start Kindergarten. As educated parents, we absolutely support the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten movement. Check out the site or your local library. Our library, gives away reading logs with prizes for each 100 books you read to your kids.

Stabilizing Your Children Also Helps Parents

When parents divorce, children suffer. While they must go through their own uncertainties about their future, how the parents handle the post-marriage, pre-divorce window goes a long way in determining how the family unit will function. How do you maintain the love and respect that children have for each parent?

Divorce Questions from the Mouth of Babes

There are few parenting moments more difficult than having to answer your kids’ questions about the divorce. No matter how much you prepared yourself for their inevitable confusion, those moments still manage to catch you off guard. How are you supposed to help them wrap their heads around life after divorce…

Easy Ways to Designate Space for Reading with Your Kids

When setting up a reading space, start with the personality of the child. Knowing your child’s personality will increase the odds of getting it perfect. Introvert or extrovert? Recharges alone or is energized by crowds? If you are reading this, the chances are high that your child is either:

A Closer Look at the Children’s Bill of Rights in Divorce

In the continuing theme of “What’s in the Best Interest of a Child,” divorce mediation expert Robert Emery, PhD has come up with “The Children’s Bill of rights in Divorce.” In a partial summary, Dr. Emery says, “If you can give your children these freedoms, you will have gone a long way toward filling your responsibilities as a parent.”

Divorced Parents Kids Want You to Know…

Let’s hear from the kids. Too often we talk about each other, and what we think kids of divorced parents should want, and what we think they want. But today, we’re turning the blog over to them. Much of this is common sense, others are surprising. The important thing is that they are talking, and we are listening.

How to Tell Your Kids You are Getting Remarried? Part 2

You have called your children together for a major announcement. You’ve removed all the distractions; you have their attention. They know you’ve been dating this woman for a while, and you like her. Of course, you’ve dated others who have come in and out of your life, never to see them again. But hey, it was fun. However, this one is different.

How to Tell Your Kids You are Getting Remarried? Part 1

You’ve been divorced for a while, and you’ve slowly rebuilt your personal and maybe even professional life. You’ve settled into a new arrangement with your children, which may include a new school and home; you have put much of the divorce’s emotional trauma behind you. You’ve even taken the big plunge and started dating again.

Are You the Problem When Johnny Doesn’t Want to Visit?

The time has come for the *“weekend visit.”* Ever since the divorce, your child has visited the non-custodial parent, mostly without incident. However, this time is different. The child balks, drags his feet, and complains. While that might not be unusual, this time, his reaction is more determined.

6 Ideas to Make a Smooth Divorce for Your Kids

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what sort of house I lived in, what my bank account was, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of my child.” It’s been estimated that between 40-50% of marriages will end in divorce, and 60% of those will involve children.

Accepting a New Step-Parent

Step-parents or “bonus parents” in my experience are a real blessing. As both a child of remarried...

Back to School Checklist for the Single Parent

At the beginning of every school year, your child’s school will ask for all of your personal information and it is perfectly normal and important to disclose on the information packet that you are a single parent and if you are sharing custody or have sole custody.

Where Am I Sleeping Tonight? Book Review

Three years ago their parents got a divorce. These brothers now spend shared time in two very different homes. They still struggle with their feelings about the breakup as Mom has remarried. The rules and routines are different at each residence.