About the Guest
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.
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.
Episode Transcript
Ron: When a parent dies who can best fill the gap for a child?
Announcer: For FamilyLife Blended®, here’s Ron Deal.
Ron: In my experience most stepparents have a really big heart. They really want to step into the physical gaps that exist in a child’s life after they lose a parent. In her book, Stepparenting the Grieving Child author Diane Fromme suggests that this desire may be misguided. Children are more naturally drawn to their other biological kin—like a grandparent or uncle. A stepparent can provide new things, like a friendship, but there’s something about extended family that is better able to “fill the gaps.”
So, notice who they are drawn to and include these relatives in their lives as often as you can. Supporting those connections, in turn, helps stepchildren find a place for the stepparent in their heart. For FamilyLife Blended I’m Ron Deal.
Announcer: Find more at familylifeblended.com.
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