Don’t Pack a Suitcase
Walking into a hotel room with a suitcase to find an empty closet is a reminder you're a visitor. That's why I encourage co-parents not to make their kids pack a suitcase before going to the other home. That's what visitors do. Sure, they'll carry their cell phone and homework, but their closet should be filled with their stuff. Even the clothes they're wearing are the child's clothes, not yours. We call it visitation, but they're not visiting. Make sure they know they belong in both homes.
Show Notes
About the Guest
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Walking into a hotel room with a suitcase to find an empty closet is a reminder you're a visitor. That's why I encourage co-parents not to make their kids pack a suitcase before going to the other home. That's what visitors do. Sure, they'll carry their cell phone and homework, but their closet should be filled with their stuff. Even the clothes they're wearing are the child's clothes, not yours. We call it visitation, but they're not visiting. Make sure they know they belong in both homes.
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Ron Deal
Ron L. Deal is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™, and the author and Consulting Editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the bestselling Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (with Dr. Gary Chapman), The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family, and ...more
When you check into a hotel, it feels like home, right?
Ron: When you check into a hotel, it feels like home, right?
Announcer: For FamilyLife Blended®, here’s Ron Deal.
Ron: Well, no actually walking into a hotel room with a suitcase to find an empty closet and empty drawers is a reminder that it’s not your home; you’re a visitor. And that’s why I encourage co-parents not to make their kids pack a suitcase before going to the other home. That’s what visitors do. Sure, they’ll carry their homework and their cell phone with them, but their closet should be filled with their stuff and their clothes when they arrive. Even the clothes they’re wearing are the child’s clothes, not yours.
Here’s the point: I know we call it visitation, but they’re not visiting. Make sure they know they belong in both homes. For FamilyLife Blended, I’m Ron Deal.
Announcer: To find out more visit familylifeblended.com.
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