TODAY’S Episode
Rules Without Relationship
December 6, 2019Where does that leave a foster parent, an adoptive parent, or stepparent? You can have authority without a bonded relationship. But it has limits. A police officer can pull you over, a boss or coach or a teacher can tell you what to do, but people don't obey these authorities out of love. That's why it's critical a new stepparent know their limits. Focus on bonding with kids and work with the biological parent on setting the household rules. Stand together and you can enforce those rules.
Where does that leave a foster parent, an adoptive parent, or stepparent? You can have authority without a bonded relationship. But it has limits. A police officer can pull you over, a boss or coach or a teacher can tell you what to do, but people don't obey these authorities out of love. That's why it's critical a new stepparent know their limits. Focus on bonding with kids and work with the biological parent on setting the household rules. Stand together and you can enforce those rules.
FamilyLife Blended® Minute
In this 60 second short feature, Ron Deal delivers a daily word of encouragement for those in stepfamilies and those who know them—which is a whole lot of us today. A relevant, real-world outlook with a biblical perspective.
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Ron Deal
Ron is a marriage and family author, conference speaker, and therapist. He is Founder and President of As For Me And My House Ministries, LLC (www.RonDeal.org) and now serves as director of FamilyLife Blended.Ron is author of The Smart Stepfamily: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family (and DVD series), The Smart Stepmom (coauthored with Laura Petherbridge), The Smart Stepfamily Marriage (coauthored with Dr. David Olson), and The Smart Stepdad. His latest book is Dating and the Single Parent. A recognized expert in marriage and blended families, Ron is a member of the Stepfamily Expert Council for the National Stepfamily Resource Center, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor with nearly 25 years experience in local church ministry and family ministry consulting. Ron is also a popular conference speaker and has appeared in dozens of national radio and TV broadcasts both in the US and Canada.Ron Deal is husband to Nan (since 1986) and proud father of Braden, Connor, and Brennan.
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