FamilyLife Blended® Minute

Let Other Bio Kin Fill the Gap

with Ron Deal | June 23, 2023
00:00
R
Play Pause
F
00:00

In my experience most stepparents have a really big heart. They want to step into the physical gaps that exist in a child's life after they lose a parent. In her book, Stepparenting the Grieving Child, author Diane Fromme suggests this desire may be misguided. Children are more naturally drawn to their other biological kin—like a grandparent or uncle. A stepparent can provide new things, like a friendship, but there's something about extended family that is better able to “fill the gaps.”

  • Show Notes

  • About the Guest

  • In my experience most stepparents have a really big heart. They want to step into the physical gaps that exist in a child's life after they lose a parent. In her book, Stepparenting the Grieving Child, author Diane Fromme suggests this desire may be misguided. Children are more naturally drawn to their other biological kin—like a grandparent or uncle. A stepparent can provide new things, like a friendship, but there's something about extended family that is better able to “fill the gaps.”

When a parent dies who can best fill the gap for a child?

Let Other Bio Kin Fill the Gap

With Ron Deal
|
June 23, 2023
| Download Transcript PDF

Ron: When a parent dies who can best fill the gap for a child?

Announcer: For FamilyLife Blended®, here’s Ron Deal.

Ron: In my experience most stepparents have a really big heart. They really want to step into the physical gaps that exist in a child’s life after they lose a parent. In her book, Stepparenting the Grieving Child author Diane Fromme suggests that this desire may be misguided. Children are more naturally drawn to their other biological kin—like a grandparent or uncle. A stepparent can provide new things, like a friendship, but there’s something about extended family that is better able to “fill the gaps.”

So, notice who they are drawn to and include these relatives in their lives as often as you can. Supporting those connections, in turn, helps stepchildren find a place for the stepparent in their heart. For FamilyLife Blended I’m Ron Deal.

Announcer: Find more at familylifeblended.com.

FamilyLife Blended with Ron Deal is a production of FamilyLife®.

We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you’ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs?

Visit http://www.familylifeblended.com/donate.

Copyright © 2023 FamilyLife®. All rights reserved.

www.FamilyLife.com