Divorce and the death of a spouse naturally bring grief. But we don't always recognize the grief our kids also carry after walking through hard circumstances. Ron Deal talks with Stanley & Mryna Brown on how they navigated grief when they married. Stanley had lost his first wife to cancer, later remarried briefly, then divorced. Myrna had also been through a divorce and was a single mom for ten years before marrying Stanley. They both had two children who struggled with their own grief and loss. Through counseling, Stanley and Myrna began to understand more about their children’s grief and how to help them work through the unique grief each of them carried, allowing relationship building within the family to more easily develop.

Show Notes and Resources

• Watch Myrna's encouraging videos for your family!
• Watch the Griffies' story
• Learn about the Summit on Stepfamily Ministry
• Shop for books like In Their Shoes and The Smart Stepfamily
• Donate to FamilyLife Blended

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Every blended family navigates common stages on their way to finding familyness. It's not uncommon to experience the questioning stage, where you begin to doubt if you've made the right decision about your newly blended family, and you take a detour or two as you navigate your circumstances. Or perhaps you get stuck along the way as you walk through a crisis together. And what about the rewards stage? Wondering if you’ll ever get to that one?

Gayla Grace shares the six stages of stepfamily development, how to navigate each stage well, and what it takes to build loving, connected relationships along the way.

Show Notes and Resources

• Join us on the Love Like You Mean It Cruise!
• Watch Women and Blended Families
• Get details for The Summit on Stepfamily Ministry
• Learn more about Gayla

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Good co-parenting with a former spouse helps kids navigate life in two homes with greater ease. Ron Deal's conversation with Jay and Tammy Daughtry teaches us how to be parental partners, not angry associates, as we compartmentalize the pain from divorce and manage co-parenting through a businesslike relationship. They emphasized the importance of congenial handoffs during the parental exchange, biological time spent with biological parents/kids, recognizing unrealistic expectations of former spouse relationships, reframing sensitive days on the calendar to minimize emotional landmines, and understanding two dynamics often at play:

Bio fog—when a deep connection between biological parents and kids creates fog with the parent, who then often tolerates misbehavior.

Step vision—when an objective stepparent quickly identifies shortfalls in stepchildren and often communicates them harshly.

Show Notes and Resources

• Learn about the Summit on Stepfamily Ministry
• Find a qualified counselor
• Check out Jay & Tammy's resources
• Send a tax deductible gift

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