75: Common Pitfalls in Blended Families and How to Overcome Them with Ron L. Deal
Are there certain things stepparents should know about their stepchildren? Are there particular do’s and don’ts a blended family should know about? In part 2 of our interview, Ron Deal (the leading national expert and the most widely read and viewed author on blended families in the country) shares common pitfalls blended families may experience and how to overcome them. If you have not listened to part 1 yet, make sure you go back and listen to Blended Families: Strategies to Help Your Step Family Blend
In This Episode, You Will Hear About:
- How important it is for parents to name emotions for their children.
- How children in blended families are like citizens in two different countries.
- Why we need to give our kids permission to love others.
- What stepparents should know about their stepchildren.
- How to react in difficult and stressful blended family situations.
Resources Mentioned During the Episode:
- Grab your copy of The Smart Stepfamily, The Smart Stepdad, The Smart Stepmom, Dating and the Single Parent, and The Smart Stepfamily Marriage by Ron L. Deal
- Learn more about resources, books, conferences, and events with Ron Deal at smartstepfamilies.com
Quotables and Tweetables:
- “We need to give our kids permission to love others – even their stepparents and stepfamily.” – @ronldeal
- “Yes, you can be compassionate about what your kids have been through. But, that should not paralyze you as a parent.” – @ronldeal
- “Stepparents: I don’t think you are rejected as often as you think you are rejected. I think the apprehension you see in a child may be due to the fact that they don’t know where to put you in their hearts.” – @ronldeal
- “Persist in the midst of ambiguity.” – @ronldeal
- “Children in blended families are like citizens in two different countries.” @ronldeal
- “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” – 1 Peter 3:9
- “You can melt hard things with warmth.” @ronldeal
- “Stepparent: You are a beautiful picture of grace.” @ronldeal
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Meet Ron L. Deal:
Ron L. Deal is the founder of Smart Stepfamilies, Director of FamilyLife Blended at FamilyLife, and is the author/co-author of the books The Smart Stepfamily, The Smart Stepdad, The Smart Stepmom, Dating and the Single Parent, and The Smart Stepfamily Marriage. Ron is one of the most widely read authors on stepfamily living in the country and his one-minute radio feature FamilyLife Blended can be heard daily on stations nationwide and online. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist who frequently appears in the national media, including FamilyLife Today and Focus on the Family, and he conducts marriage and family seminars around the country. Ron and his wife, Nan, have been married since 1986 and have three boys.
