29: When A Parent Goes M.I.A.
If a parent dies, it is devastating to a child and the other parent has to carry the load of parenting. But what if one parent is there, but absent. Many people think life would be easier if the other parent was “missing in action”. It’s not. That kind of ambiguity is confusing for everyone. And, how does that impact a blended family, kids, and a parent and stepparent who have to pick up all the pieces? Despite their strong faith and good intentions, Andy and Heather Hetchler were blown away by how hard it was to bring their two families together when one former spouse was an MIA parent. Eventually they made some headway and began sharing what they learned with others. This is their conversation with Ron Deal.
Show Notes
Learn more about Andy and Heather's ministry Learn2Step. https://www.learning2step.com/
Read the Where's Mom article. https://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/blended-family/stepparents/multiple-home-realities/wheres-mom/
Article Helping Children Cope With Loss: Practical Emotional Coaching. https://www.smartstepfamilies.com/view/emotional-coaching
Learn more about the Blended and Blessed® livestream. https://www.blendedandblessed.com
Learn about FamilyLife's other podcasts. https://www.familylife.com/podcast
Visit FamilyLife Blended® online for articles, videos, and resources for blended families. https://www.familylife.com/blended
About the Guest
Andy and Heather Hetchler
Heather and Andy Hetchler are married with six children between them. Despite their strong faith, good intentions and loving and hope-filled hearts, they were blown away by how hard it was to bring their two families together.
While they didn’t have illusions that all would be smooth sailing, they were not prepared for the inherent complications of stepfamily life. They were blessed to understand going in that all stepfamilies have struggles. Even knowing what they knew, they often felt alone in their struggles with little to no resources for help.
As their family grew together, Heather began connecting with other stepmoms to share what she had learned through her professional background study and the stepfamily school of hard knocks.
After six years of serving stepmoms and seeing the empowerment these women took back to their marriages and families, Heather had a huge desire to reach more families and meet them right where they are on their journey.
Learning2Step was born!
Today, Learning2Step connects struggling, hurting stepfamilies with the hope, help, and connections they desperately need to thrive.
About the Host
Ron Deal
Ron Deal is Director of FamilyLife Blended®️ for FamilyLife®️ and President of Smart Stepfamilies™️. He is a family ministry consultant and conducts marriage and family seminars around the country; he specializes in marriage education and stepfamily enrichment. He is one of the most widely read authors on stepfamily living in the country.