Embrace the Past, Don’t Erase It 2
Stepparents ask your stepkids to tell you about their prior family. Pictures and videos from the past represent how life was and usually capture the best of times. It is a foolish stepparent who tries to erase that history; that implies the kids are a mistake. A wise stepparent asks the kids to tell the stories behind the pictures. Honoring their family story celebrates their worth and their value. Look at it from their perspective. When you embrace their past, you embrace them.
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: If there’s a picture and you’re not in it say, “Tell me about that.”
Announcer: For FamilyLife Blended®, here’s Ron Deal.
Ron: Maybe you’ve recently heard me encourage stepparents not to get rid of pictures of their spouse’s prior family. Well today I want to go a step further. Ask the kids to tell you about it. Pictures and videos from the past represent how life was and usually capture “the best of times.” It is a foolish stepparent who tries to erase that history; that implies the kids are a mistake. But it is a wise stepparent who asks the kids to tell the stories behind the pictures.
Honoring and celebrating their family story celebrates them—their worth and their value. Look at it from their perspective. When you embrace their past, you embrace them. For FamilyLife Blended, I’m Ron Deal.
Announcer: To find out more visit familylifeblended.com.
FamilyLife Blended with Ron Deal is a production of FamilyLife.
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