God showed His love for us by bringing the outsider in, and that’s how Christians should love the “extended” members of stepfamilies.

Divorced parents should constantly evaluate themselves and ask if their behavior is helping or hurting their children.

Sarah called my office with a question I have heard a thousand times. “My husband’s ex-wife is a very unhealthy person. She attacks us frequently in front of the kids…

The holidays are hard for the Deal family. Since our son Connor died in February 2009, Christmas has just not been the same.  He was only 12 when he left…

Nicole never saw it coming. Since she had a respectful, decent working relationship with her ex-husband, she never anticipated how intrusive her fiancé’s ex-wife, Sharon, would be. While Nicole and…

Shortly after my wife and I married, we went with my parents to Kenya for a brief missionary effort. My parents continued to lead an annual trip to Kenya for…

To understand the behavior of children in stepfamilies (including adult stepchildren), you must understand loyalty and the natural tug-of-war it creates.  Cameron’s mom has been asking him for a month…

Between the joy and hope of the Christmas season, some stepfamilies find themselves in frustrating power plays between homes. “Because he is on edge and doesn’t want to deal with…

Carol, a mother with an Autism Spectrum/Autism Spectrum Disorder (AS/ASD) child, could easily describe how hard being a single parent was. She prayed for years for a loving husband to…

There are a few unwritten codes of conduct common among most families. One is that family members don’t share unflattering or personal information with outsiders. You don’t talk about dad’s…

1. Work hard to respect the other parent and his or her household. Do not demean the other’s living circumstances, activities, dates, or decisions and give up the need to…

In anticipation of her four teenage stepdaughters coming to her home for the summer, Cheryl asked for some advice. “I am dreading the six-week visitation,” she said. “The last two…

A concerned mom once said to me, “I really want my two children to love the Lord, but when they spend time with their dad and stepmom, they are exposed…

One of the great tragedies of divorce is when one biological parent disengages from a child. For example, as is reported in my book The Smart Stepdad, 10-15 percent of…

Most stepchildren live in two countries; that is, they hold citizenship in two homes and are invested in the quality of life found in both. Parents should do everything they…

Parenting from a distance is difficult, sometimes extremely difficult. Non-residential parents and stepparents alike find remaining connected to kids and keeping influence with children a challenge. For example, when a…

Two-thirds of stepparents also have biological children of their own. Balancing parental responsibilities, spousal commitments, and stepparent roles can be challenging—and guilt producing. This Father’s Day, many stepdads will feel…

Ask a stepmom if she enjoys Mother’s Day and you’ll get a wide variety of responses. Many feel honored and respected while others feel isolated and defeated. Still others journey…

by Terri Clark Sometimes I really miss being a kid. When I was a kid, it was up to the grown-ups to make all of the decisions and plans. The…