Becoming a stepparent can be daunting. Figuring out your role as a stepparent — aside from the day-to-day responsibilities that come with it —may lead to confusion, uncertainty or even conflict between you and your partner, your partner’s Ex, and the kids. There is a lot of information and advice out there to help you […]
When your stepchild seeks to exclude you or worse still reject you, your spouse/their parent and their entire stepfamily , it can be difficult to know how to react or what to do. It can be especially painful when you believe that you have gone out of your way to try and forge a relationship […]
Whether it be a first or second marriage, divorce rates across the Western world are declining and have been for a while. The reasons behind the falling statistics are complex. But it’s suffice to say that divorce trends have been heavily influence by changing social norms about being a “divorcee”, living together prior to marriage, […]
We all want to think (and hope) that once we have found our king or queen, happily ever after and a blissful family will automatically follow. But if you have ever experienced heartbreak and divorce you know the reality is that happy families (and healthy relationships) don’t just happen because we fall in love. They […]
Self-regulation – why it’s important for stepfamilies and co-parents. Self-regulation is being able to manage feelings (particularly big feelings) so they don’t intrude heavily on our relationships or when going about our day-to-day life. It relates to the ability to resist losing it in situations where we are upset, frustrated or just plain pissed off […]
The ways in which we engage with our nearest and dearest and extended family on a regular, perhaps daily, weekly or even annual basis, form the basis of our family traditions and rituals. Traditions that range from ordinary routines and day-to-day activities – think those parents who routinely give their children a hug before leaving for […]
There are a number of celebrations across the globe that take place each November. Think, All Saint Day/Day of the Dead celebrated throughout Mexico (1 November), Guy Fawkes Night celebrated in New Zealand and in United Kingdom (5 November), Armistice Day/Remembrance Day, a memorial day recognised world-wide to honour the war dead (11 November) and […]
Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw once famously asked “can you be friends with an Ex?”. For those of us that have found love with someone who has children from a previous relationship the question is not only “can you” but also “should you be friends with your partner’s ex”. And more to the point, […]
Respect is considered a critical element in any successful relationship. It also goes a long way towards developing a harmonious home. Certainly within stepfamilies the word “respect” is regularly used – you know that old chestnut “you don’t have to love or even like your mum’s/dad’s partner but you do need to be polite and show […]
Now we all have different needs for space, physical and emotional. As we go about our daily life, different spaces (and states) help us to carry out the task in hand or to recover from them. Emotional spaces can be influenced by the physical spaces we inhabit and vice versa. Our needs for these spaces […]