Even though the legal rights of a stepparent over his or her stepchildren is limited, love is not limited.
Welcome to Stepfamily Living Articles

Stepparenting and the Law
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Healthy leadership coalitions bolster the influence of the leaders in businesses and in families. When parents align to support each other, they lead from a position of unity. In blended…
How to Cook a Stepfamily
Whether you realize it or not, your stepfamily has likely assumed a specific integration style. By that, I mean a set of assumptions about how your stepfamily ‘ought’ to come…
13 Ideas to Manage Holiday Step-Stress
“If you think your life is hectic during the holidays, you ought to try coordinating schedules, dinner plans, and Christmas gifts with the parents of three households—most of whom don’t…
Having an ‘Ours’ Baby
“Should we have a baby together?” It’s an interesting question from stepfamily couples and I’m always taken aback by it. Couples on their first marriage never ask me that question!…
Honest Communication Is a Stepfamily’s Greatest Ally
David’s new marriage was on the verge of failure. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his wife; they just could not agree on how much responsibility their children should have….
Stepfamilies: Is This Normal?
I’ve had the privilege of traveling to Africa a few times in my life. The rules of the road and expectations of other drivers are not like those in the…
7 Suggestions for a Parent Going Through Divorce
It was late in 2007 when I knew that something was not right in my marriage. My wife was very distant and didn’t want to talk about our problems. She…
Life Lessons of a Control Freak
Growing up, my parents provided for my brothers and me whatever they could, but money wasn’t always available. Yet they gave me something far greater than the expensive trappings of…
Stepfamilies Are Different … and the Same
I’ve been a therapist working with stepfamilies for over two decades, and I often can’t get couples to understand one simple truth: Stepfamilies are different from biological families. Many couples…
When a Stepparent Feels Like an Outsider
Did you ever play the game Lock Out on your school playground? The game begins when kids form a circle by interlocking arms. Then one person on the outside attempts…
Family Identity, Family Meeting
Corporations have strategy meetings on a regular basis. Department heads, supervisors, and managers get together to discuss current production goals, sales reports, and marketing efforts. The purpose behind such meetings…

10 Survival Tips for Stepfamily Life
Many couples travel to the “foreign country” of stepfamily living with little or no preparation.
Talking Blended
Life seems to tuck us into categories. Are you young or old? Republican or Democrat? From the South or North? A student or a graduate? Employed or unemployed? The list…
Choosing Love
Have you ever noticed that God uses family life to teach us important spiritual lessons? For example, He uses the childhood experience of being disciplined by our parents to teach…
Is It Graduation Time
Graduation is a time when many high school and college students, along with their families, experience the reward of hard work and dedication. In addition to the celebration, graduation creates…
Stepmothers Day
If there is one day of the year that can trigger elation or sadness for a stepmom, it’s usually Mother’s Day. And while stepfathers often find Father’s Day awkward, children…